TOKYO (AP) 鈥� The head of the U.N.’s nuclear agency signaled Wednesday that would be visited by his inspectors, a key component in the interim U.S.-Iran deal to reach . An Iranian diplomat instead insisted any such visit would only come after a final deal.
The comments echoed about nuclear inspections a day earlier from the U.S. and Iran. During the week since the two countries signed the deal, their leaders have repeatedly disagreed in public about what that document actually means.
International Atomic Energy Agency head on Wednesday acknowledged the 鈥渨ar of words鈥� over . But the dueling narratives are playing out on a range of issues, including Israel鈥檚 war with Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and of dollars once unfrozen.
After the signing of the memorandum of understanding, the U.S. and Iran agreed to a 60-day period to iron out these and other details in private. Until those talks are completed, leaders from both countries will also continue to negotiate in public, raising the risks of derailing the shaky ceasefire in the region.
The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, a threat to the U.S.-Iran diplomacy, flared on Wednesday. Israel launched an airstrike that killed two people in southern Lebanon, the country鈥檚 state-run news agency said. It was Israel鈥檚 first airstrike on Lebanon since the latest ceasefire took effect on Saturday. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strike.
UN鈥檚 nuclear agency head
says inspections will happen
Since Israel launched a 12-day war on Iran in 2025, the IAEA has been blocked by Tehran from visiting enrichment sites. The Islamic Republic is believed to store enough highly enriched uranium to potentially build as many as 10 nuclear weapons, should it choose to rush for the bomb. Iran maintains that its program is peaceful, though it is the only country in the world to have uranium enriched up to 60% purity without a weapons program.
Grossi鈥檚 remarks were the firmest yet from the United Nations agency, which is central to determining the status of Iran鈥檚 nuclear stockpile.
鈥淚 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,鈥� he said at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The accord 鈥渟ays explicitly that the nuclear activities that are going to be carried out with regards to the nuclear material facilities will be supervised by the IAEA 鈥� in all letters,鈥� he said.
鈥淥bviously, to do that, we will have to inspect,” Grossi said. “Whether this happens the day after tomorrow or in one week or in 10 days, it鈥檚 important, but not essential. This is going to happen.鈥�
The deal calls for Iran鈥檚 uranium to be 鈥渄ownblended鈥� from highly enriched levels.
Kazem Gharibabadi, an Iranian deputy foreign minister, took a swipe at Grossi after his remarks, saying Tehran didn鈥檛 meet with him while in Switzerland.
鈥淭hese issues will be reviewed and decided only within the framework of a final agreement and as a result of practical action by the other side to end all sanctions and other measures.鈥� Gharibabadi wrote on X.
He added: 鈥淵ou cannot advance the 鈥榮tir up and take over鈥� policy with media hype.鈥�
IAEA blocked from seeing bombed sites
The IAEA has been allowed to visit other nuclear sites in Iran since the 12-day war in 2025. But without accessing the enrichment sites, the IAEA says it’s unable to verify the status of Iran’s stockpile. Both and say Tehran hasn’t been enriching uranium, but nonproliferation experts worry the Islamic Republic may be moving its stockpile.
The U.S. and Iran last week that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of enriched uranium and waives U.S.-backed .
But the uneasy ceasefire already has been tested by Iran saying it closed the Strait of Hormuz again over fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israel鈥檚 defense minister said Wednesday that the U.S. had not demanded that Israel withdraw from Lebanon. Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu later declared that 鈥渁s long as I am Prime Minister, we will maintain the security zone in southern Lebanon.鈥�
Lebanese and Israeli officials are meeting this week in Washington as part of direct negotiations between the two countries, through which Lebanon hopes to reach a plan for Israeli withdrawal.
Technical-level talks between the U.S. and Iran are expected to resume early next week in Switzerland, Pakistan鈥檚 Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. Pakistan has been a key mediator.
US has plan to oversee Iran鈥檚 frozen funds
The interim deal also includes a pledge to unfreeze billions in Iranian assets. U.S. President Donald Trump wants that money to go toward , but Iranian officials say they should decide how its spent.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said his department would have people in Qatar to oversee what happens with the unfrozen funds. He said in a CNBC interview that Iran would spend 鈥渁 very large percent鈥� of its released money on 鈥淯.S. foodstuffs and medicines.鈥�
鈥淲e will be recycling the money back into U.S. products,鈥� Bessent said.
Marco Rubio is in the Middle East
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled in the Persian Gulf for a three-nation tour, beginning with a meeting in Abu Dhabi with Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the State Department said Wednesday. A photo released by the State Department showed Michael Boulos, the husband of Trump鈥檚 daughter Tiffany, attended the meeting. Boulous鈥� father is an adviser to Trump and working on the Sudan war.
Rubio then traveled to Kuwait, where the Trump administration announced the limited reopening of the U.S. Embassy after it was shuttered at the height of the Iran war. Rubio will later go to Bahrain.
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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Julia Frankel in Jerusalem, Matthew Lee in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.
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