IAEA says monitoring must be restored as U.S.-Iran talks continue

Director General Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency said the agency must be able to verify any agreement reached between the United States and Iran and that restoring monitoring capabilities in Iran is urgent.

"As you know, this is a moment, of enormous importance. ... we should be able to exercise" technical support, capabilities and monitoring potential, Grossi said, urging that verification be practical and observable rather than "just a piece of paper." He added that the timetable could be short: "It's not a matter of months or years. It's perhaps a matter of weeks whether we can really come to something that, is, is doable, is feasible."

French Minister Barrault, answering a question from Pamela Falk of US News & World Report about whether a bilateral U.S.-Iran agreement would serve European interests, said Europe’s priority is preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. "What serves the interest of, Europe is for, Iran never to have a bomb. And that's why we support and we encourage the ongoing discussions between The US and Iran," Barrault said. She said Europeans that remained within the framework of the JCPOA would face a decision by the summer on whether to reapply sanctions lifted about 10 years ago, a choice she tied to the commitments Iran would make.

Grossi described the agency’s conversations with Iran as active but limited compared with past visibility. "We are there. We are inspecting there. It's not as if we have been completely, blinded, but we have lost a lot in terms of the visibility we used to have, before," he said. He said that Iran has indicated willingness to provide assurances but cautioned that "the devil lies in the details. ... We have to reflect that into concrete actions."

On the technical steps needed, Grossi listed items such as "cameras, inspectors, places, access to people," and said the agency hopes Iran will allow the measures required for verification. He also described the diplomatic tracks as mutually influential: the bilateral U.S.-Iran process and the IAEA’s technical discussions with Tehran "have a mutually influence" and the agency hopes to make progress in both "in synchronicity and, hopefully, in a good way."

The discussion at the briefing did not include formal agreements or a timetable for specific verification measures; officials repeatedly described details as still under negotiation and said concrete actions would be needed to translate assurances into verifiable measures.

Looking ahead, Grossi said the IAEA would continue engaging with Iran and other diplomatic actors to seek the access and equipment necessary for effective monitoring if a political understanding is reached.