A deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s atomic watchdog, is scheduled to visit Tehran on Monday in an effort to revive dialogue between the agency and the Iranian government following the fallout from June’s 12-day war with Israel.
The visit was announced on Sunday by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who clarified that the delegation would not tour any of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“A deputy director general of [IAEA Director General Rafael] Grossi will come to Tehran tomorrow, but there are no plans to visit nuclear sites until a framework is reached and bilateral cooperation resumes,” Araghchi told the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). “Negotiations with the IAEA will be held tomorrow to determine a framework for cooperation.”
On June 25, immediately after the ceasefire with Israel, Iran’s parliament passed legislation suspending cooperation with the IAEA. The move followed allegations that the agency had passed confidential information to Israel regarding Iran’s nuclear facilities and its scientists.
During Israel’s mid-June attacks, more than a dozen Iranian nuclear scientists were killed in targeted assassinations. Reports indicate that remaining scientists have since been relocated to undisclosed locations with their families, outside of Tehran.
By early July, all IAEA inspectors had left Iran after President Massoud Pezeshkian signed the legislation into law on July 3.
Araghchi also addressed Iran’s ongoing discussions with the United Kingdom, Germany, and France — collectively known as the “E3” — noting that talks remain in progress.
Under current Iranian law, any visits by IAEA inspectors or official contact with the agency must be approved by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).
At present, Tehran is not engaged in indirect negotiations with the United States. Iran has demanded security guarantees that neither the U.S. nor Israel will attack if talks resume, as well as compensation for damage sustained during the recent conflict.