Iranian nuclear inspections 'going to happen,' IAEA head

Iranian nuclear inspections 'going to happen,' IAEA head Published June 24, 2026last updated June 24, 2026What you need to know - UN nuclear agency boss says inspectors will visit Iran's nuclear sites under Iran-US interim deal - Iranian lead negotiator calls deal with US 'America's declaration of defeat' - US Secretary of State Rubio continues diplomatic trip to the Gulf Keep reading for the latest developments on the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. Tired of missing our real-time updates? Click here to add us as a Preferred Source on Google. Then tap the "Star" or "Preferred" to keep DW News at the top of your feed. US-Iran deal 'America's declaration of defeat' — Iranian parliamentary speaker The interim agreement between Iran and the United States for a ceasefire in the Middle East war is "America's declaration of defeat," according to Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the head of the Iranian negotiating team. "The Islamabad understanding was not the result of pressure and coercion, but rather the result of the resistance and authority of the brave Iranian nation," Qalibaf said on Wednesday at a conference in Azerbaijan. "The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding became a declaration of America's defeat." Qalibaf, whose comments were broadcast on Iranian television, said only the countries of the Middle East could ensure the region's security and that Iran was prepared to cooperate on the basis of "non-interference in internal affairs and respect for sovereignty." He also stressed that the end of fighting in Lebanon was critical to Iran. "For us, the ceasefire in Lebanon has been and is as important as the ceasefire in Iran, and the end of the war in Lebanon has been as important as the end of the war in Iran." Qalibaf said. UN nuclear agency head says inspection in Iran 'going to happen' The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said inspectors would visit Iranian nuclear facilities as part of the interim deal signed by Washington and Tehran. The statement from the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA head Rafael Grossi came a day after the US and Iran offered contradictory remarks on whether such sites would be inspected. "I can understand political statements, they are part of the reality, but the fundamental thing I would like to remind you and draw your attention to is that there has been a Memorandum of Understanding, signed by both presidents," Grossi told journalists at a news conference. He added that the agreement "says explicitly that the nuclear activities that are going to be carried out with the regards to the nuclear material facilities will be supervised by the IAEA." "Obviously, to do that, we will have to inspect. Whether this happens the day after tomorrow or in one week or in 10 days, it's important, but not essential," he added. "This is going to happen." Since a 12-day war on Iran by Israel and later the US in 2025, the IAEA has been blocked by Tehran from visiting Iranian enrichment sites. Iran is believed to store enough highly enriched uranium to potentially build as many as 10 nuclear weapons, according to experts. It is the world's only country with uranium enriched up to 60% purity without a weapons program. Tehran has long maintained that its program is for civilian use only. Welcome to our coverage of developments in Iran and the Middle East Hello, and thanks for joining DW as we follow developments in the war in Iran and the situation across the Middle East. Today, we're starting with comments from the head of the IAEA on whether the agency's inspectors will have access to Iranian nuclear facilities as part of the interim deal signed by Tehran and Washington. We will also be following US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as he continues a diplomatic trip to the Gulf for talks with US allies hit hard by the war in the Middle East.