Iran restricts nuclear site inspections
Iran said the U.N. nuclear watchdog will not be allowed to inspect nuclear facilities damaged in recent US-Israeli strikes until a new protocol for wartime inspections is approved. The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami said current cooperation with the agency is being handled under a recent parliamentary law, and routine inspections continue only at sites that were not attacked.
He accused the watchdog of failing to condemn the strikes and said its silence raises doubts about its independence. In his view, pressure from Washington and Tel Aviv is not about safeguards, but about assessing the damage caused by the attacks. He also said threats against Iranian sites show how international bodies are being used for political purposes.
Iran is also presenting its nuclear work as resilient despite the conflict. Eslami said plasma technology is being expanded in agriculture, with trials reportedly lifting wheat yields by at least 30%. He added that plasma-based wound treatment centers are already operating and more are expected to open. He also said radiopharmaceutical exports continued during the war by land when air routes were disrupted, and regular air shipments are now resuming.
The dispute comes amid a broader standoff between Tehran and the agency’s board, which has repeatedly criticized Iran’s nuclear program and demanded access to sensitive sites. After the strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, the board called for immediate inspections, but Tehran rejected the demand, arguing that any visit must wait for new security arrangements that protect Iranian personnel and respect its sovereignty during an active conflict.
