Iran has refused to permit inspections of nuclear facilities hit during U.S. strikes in June until the IAEA defines explicit "post‑war" access rules, Mohammad Eslami said after a cabinet meeting. Tehran has formally told the IAEA that any inspection regime must be "defined and codified," and meanwhile expelled IAEA inspectors, accusing the agency of failing to condemn the attacks. The dispute surfaced at a UN Security Council session where Iran argued that Resolution 2231 expired on October 18, 2025; the U.S. said it is open to talks only if Iran accepts direct, meaningful negotiations and no enrichment inside Iran.
Iran Refuses Inspections Of Bombed Nuclear Sites Until IAEA Defines 'Post‑War' Rules
The aftermath of an Israeli strike on a building in Tehran, Iran [File: Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters]
Iran has rejected requests to allow inspections of nuclear facilities damaged in U.S. strikes in June, saying the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) must first establish clear, codified "post‑war" rules governing access to sites hit during military operations.
After a cabinet meeting in Tehran, Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, told reporters that Tehran has formally communicated its position to the IAEA and will not permit visits to facilities struck by the U.S. until the agency publishes explicit procedures for such inspections, according to the semiofficial Tasnim news agency.
"If there are established procedures for the post‑war situation, the agency should announce them so that we can act accordingly," Eslami said. He added that any rules must be "defined and codified" when safeguarded nuclear sites are subjected to military attack.
Iran says U.S. forces struck the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan sites with bunker‑buster munitions during a 12‑day conflict in June. Tehran’s Ministry of Health reported more than 430 deaths and thousands wounded in the wave of attacks; these figures come from Iranian authorities.
Tehran framed the U.S. strikes as following a surprise attack by Israel that it says killed hundreds of civilians, including nuclear scientists and senior commanders, and damaged sites linked to Iran’s nuclear programme. Iran continues to deny any intent to develop a nuclear weapon. Israel is widely believed to possess an undeclared nuclear arsenal.
In response to the strikes, Iran expelled IAEA inspectors who had been stationed in the country, accusing the agency of failing to condemn the attacks. Eslami warned that Iran will not accept "political and psychological pressure" to allow inspections before post‑war conditions are clarified.
Eslami also cited the Geneva Conventions, saying they bar attacks on "installations containing dangerous forces, namely dams, dykes and nuclear electrical generating stations," and argued that the IAEA should publicly clarify whether it condones or condemns military strikes on safeguarded nuclear sites.
The dispute over inspections formed part of a broader debate at a recent United Nations Security Council meeting on nuclear non‑proliferation. Iran’s UN ambassador, Amir‑Saeid Iravani, told the council that UN Security Council Resolution 2231 — which endorsed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) — expired on October 18, 2025 and therefore "ceased to have any legal effect or operative mandate," a position supported by representatives of Russia and China. This interpretation is Iran’s position and is not universally accepted.
The U.S. representative at the meeting, Morgan Ortagus, said Washington remains open to talks but only if Iran agrees to "direct and meaningful dialogue," adding, "Foremost, there can be no enrichment inside of Iran." Before the June escalation, Iran and the U.S. held five rounds of indirect negotiations mediated by Oman without reaching a breakthrough.
The issue raises complex questions about post‑conflict access to nuclear sites, the role of the IAEA in clarifying legal and safety frameworks after military attacks, and the diplomatic path forward amid deep mistrust between Tehran and Western capitals.
