Iran says it may allow US inspections of nuclear sites if deal reached with Washington
Iran and US have held 5 rounds of indirect nuclear negotiations so far mediated by Oman
TEHRAN, Iran
Iran said Wednesday that it may consider allowing American inspections of its nuclear sites through the UN nuclear watchdog if an agreement is reached in the ongoing nuclear negotiations between the two sides.
Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said Tehran may accept American inspections if the two countries come to an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran and the US have been engaged in nuclear diplomacy for the past two months, with Oman mediating five rounds of indirect talks so far, held in Muscat and Rome.
Uranium enrichment has emerged as a key sticking point in the ongoing negotiations, with the US calling for its dismantling while Iran insisting the program will continue.
Eslami emphasized that Iran’s nuclear program is strictly peaceful and under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), insisting that uranium enrichment is tied to Iran’s national sovereignty.
He expressed frustration at the disproportionate scrutiny Iran faces compared with other countries, noting that while its nuclear capacity constitutes less than 3% of the global total, it accounts for 25% of IAEA inspections.
Halting uranium enrichment, he stressed, would affect many sectors, including healthcare and the environment, pointing out that about one million people annually in Iran rely on radiopharmaceuticals.
“If we do not have enrichment and cannot produce 20% fuel and use the Tehran reactor, we will not be able to produce radiopharmaceuticals. Therefore, the first damage will be to the healthcare sector,” Eslami said.
He also highlighted the impact of zero enrichment on food materials, pharmaceutical products, and research reactors that require various isotopes.
“If you take the enrichment industry away from a country, its scientific flourishing is endangered. They neither provide software nor hardware to Iran,” he added.
Iranian officials say the issue of uranium enrichment is “non-negotiable.”
Ahead of the fifth round of talks on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said zero enrichment is unacceptable to Iran, stressing that Tehran is not seeking nuclear weapons.
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