The United Nations has warned that Iran’s promise not to develop nuclear weapons will only be credible if backed by a robust and transparent verification system, as negotiations continue to secure a permanent end to the conflict between Tehran and Washington.
Speaking on Friday, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said the international community would require more than assurances from Iran and insisted that strict monitoring mechanisms must be put in place.
The future of Iran’s nuclear programme remains one of the biggest obstacles in efforts to formally end the Middle East conflict that erupted in late February following a large-scale military campaign involving the United States and Israel.
Although Iran and the United States reached a preliminary agreement last week aimed at ending hostilities, negotiations are expected to tackle several unresolved issues, with Tehran’s nuclear ambitions topping the agenda.
However, conflicting signals from both capitals have raised fresh uncertainty over whether UN inspectors will be granted access to Iranian nuclear facilities.
“I think the objective of this agreement is to ensure that there is no development of nuclear weapons in Iran. The government of Iran has declared quite clearly that this is not their intention,” Grossi said.
“But of course intentions are not enough. We have to have a very strong verification system in place as soon as is practicable,” he added.
According to the IAEA chief, discussions with Iranian authorities following the agreement with Washington have only just begun.
Grossi disclosed that the UN nuclear watchdog had so far only “barely initiated” talks with Tehran over the implementation of the agreement.
Under the terms of the preliminary deal, Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium is expected to be diluted, or “downblended”, under the supervision of the IAEA.
Before the outbreak of the war, the Agency estimated that Iran possessed about 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity. However, the location and status of the material remain uncertain following last year’s U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Experts note that uranium enriched to 90 per cent can be used in the production of nuclear weapons.
“Initial conversations have taken place,” Grossi said. “We expect this work to pick up soon.”
Iran’s nuclear activities have long strained relations with Western nations, which suspect Tehran of pursuing atomic weapons capability despite repeated denials from the Iranian government.
Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear programme is strictly for civilian and peaceful purposes.
U.S. President, Donald Trump, claimed on Tuesday that Tehran had “fully and completely agreed” to allow UN inspectors back into the country, while Grossi stated a day later that inspections of Iranian nuclear sites were “going to happen.”
Tehran, however, insisted this week that it had no plans to readmit inspectors from the nuclear watchdog.
Iran had previously entered into a landmark agreement with six world powers in 2015 that imposed restrictions on its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. That deal later collapsed after Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement during his first term in office.
Iran subsequently suspended cooperation with the IAEA last year following the U.S. and Israeli attacks in June.
Grossi suggested that exporting Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile out of the country could serve as an alternative to diluting it.
“It would perhaps be more complicated, but there are a few technical alternatives to deal with the material,” he said.
Beyond the nuclear issue, tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz continue to threaten negotiations between both countries.
The strategic waterway, located between Iran and Oman, serves as a critical route for global oil and gas shipments moving from the Gulf to international markets.
Iran shut down the strait during the conflict in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli military strikes, turning the waterway into one of Tehran’s strongest bargaining tools in ongoing talks.
The global economy has since struggled with energy supply disruptions linked to the closure.
The situation worsened on Wednesday after a vessel navigating the strait was struck by an unidentified projectile, prompting the United Nations to suspend efforts to evacuate stranded mariners trapped in the area since the war began.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said the cargo vessel was hit on its starboard side, causing damage to its bridge, although no casualties were reported.
Iran has also proposed introducing transit charges for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a move strongly opposed by Washington and several Gulf states.
U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who was visiting the Gulf on Wednesday, rejected the proposal, warning that such a decision could trigger “total chaos.”
Rubio reiterated that Washington remains interested in reaching an agreement with Tehran but stressed that the United States would not accept a deal at any cost.
Meanwhile, residents in Tehran say diplomatic breakthroughs have yet to translate into improvements in their daily lives.
“Overall, nothing has improved,” said Amir, a 28-year-old government employee. “Life has simply become more difficult.”
Another resident, Mehdi, a 35-year-old content creator, said public optimism remained fragile despite the negotiations.
“Until such changes are felt in people’s everyday lives, it is only natural that hope will remain accompanied by doubt, and that anticipation will give way to exhaustion and anxiety,” he said.
