Iran has no clear schedule for International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to visit its damaged nuclear facilities, a foreign ministry spokesman said Tuesday.
The announcement follows the first round of US-Iran negotiations in Switzerland and signals a potential deadlock over the verification of Iran's nuclear program. While the U.S. seeks transparency to prevent nuclear proliferation, Tehran maintains that site access must be strictly controlled.
Esmaeil Baghaei said during a press conference in Tehran that Iran has made "no new commitments on nuclear inspectors" [1]. He said that the country remains committed to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) [2].
Baghaei said that any future inspections must follow procedures established by the Iranian Parliament and the Supreme National Security Council [3]. He said that allowing inspections could be risky under current conditions [3].
Despite the disagreement over inspection timelines, there are reports of financial movement between the parties. Iran is expected to access $12 billion [4] in frozen funds, which Baghaei said the country will use freely [2].
Contradictions have emerged regarding the outcome of the Swiss talks. Some U.S. officials indicated that Iran completely agreed to nuclear inspections, but Tehran has denied those reports [5]. Additionally, while some reports suggested uncertainty regarding Iran's participation in the talks, the foreign ministry denied that the delegation walked out of the negotiations [6].
Baghaei said that there is "no clear schedule for IAEA inspections" [7] and said that the government continues to criticize certain decisions made by the IAEA Board.
“"No new commitments on nuclear inspectors."”
The disconnect between U.S. officials and Iranian spokespeople suggests a fragile diplomatic environment where financial incentives, such as the release of $12 billion in frozen assets, may not be sufficient to secure immediate technical transparency. By insisting on parliamentary and security council oversight for IAEA visits, Iran is asserting domestic legal sovereignty over international monitoring requirements, which could prolong the standoff over its nuclear capabilities.
