IAEA Chief Confirms Iran Nuclear Inspections Will Proceed, but Says Timing ‘Not Essential’
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday that the U.N. agency will follow through on its commitment to inspect Iran’s nuclear facilities, despite mixed messages from U.S. and Iranian officials about when those visits might take place. Speaking from Japan, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stressed that the memorandum of understanding signed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian last week leaves no ambiguity: the agency’s role in verifying Iran’s nuclear activities is written into the agreement. “Whether this happens the day after tomorrow or in one week or in ten days, it’s important, but not essential,” Grossi said. “This is going to happen.”
The remarks came a day after Iranian officials indicated they had no immediate plans to allow IAEA inspectors access to sensitive enrichment sites that were bombed by the U.S. and Israel in June 2025. Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazeem Gharibabadi, reiterated that any such inspections would only be settled as part of a final, comprehensive deal, and only after the U.S. lifts all sanctions. The disagreement underscores the fragility of the 60-day negotiation window opened by the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which seeks to end the broader U.S.-Iran war and address Tehran’s nuclear program.
While Grossi’s statement offered a measure of clarity on the nuclear inspection front, the diplomatic landscape remains turbulent. Secretary of State Marco Rubio continued his regional tour Thursday, landing in Bahrain for a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting after stops in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Rubio has been working to reassure Gulf allies that Washington will not cut a deal with Iran that undermines their security—particularly regarding Iran’s missile program and its network of proxies, issues that the current interim agreement does not address. “We’re going to be completely aligned with our partners in the Gulf,” Rubio said in Kuwait. He also forcefully rejected any notion that Iran could impose tolls on the Strait of Hormuz, calling it an international waterway where “no country is allowed to charge tolls or fees.”
The war’s economic fallout continues to shift. Brent crude oil fell below $75 a barrel for the first time since the conflict began, trading at $74.73 as markets reacted to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz under the interim deal. U.S. President Trump, meanwhile, accused oil companies of price gouging at the pump and directed the Department of Justice to investigate why gasoline prices have not fallen as fast as crude oil prices.
On Capitol Hill, the Senate delivered a symbolic rebuke to the president by passing a war powers resolution that calls for the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran—though the measure, a concurrent resolution, lacks the force of law and does not require Trump’s signature. The 50-48 vote saw four Republicans break with party lines. A second, more binding measure introduced by Senator Tim Kaine was blocked in a procedural vote later Wednesday, failing 50-47. The mixed results reflect deep unease among lawmakers over the administration’s Iran strategy, even as the president insists the war is going “very, very well.”
The humanitarian and logistical dimensions of the conflict remain acute. More than 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf since the start of the war are now being evacuated under an operation coordinated by the International Maritime Organization, Oman, and Iran. The evacuation, which began Tuesday, is expected to take several weeks, with a goal of moving about 50 vessels per day through two temporary corridors—one along Oman’s coast and one closer to Iran’s shore. At least 14 civilian seafarers have been killed in the region since the war began.
In Lebanon, low-level fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues to test the fragile ceasefire. The Israeli military said Wednesday it struck two Hezbollah fighters near its self-declared security zone in southern Lebanon. Israeli leaders have insisted they will not withdraw from the occupied area—which extends about six miles into Lebanese territory—until the threat from the Iranian-backed group is removed. The memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran calls for a halt to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, but the ongoing clashes threaten to derail the broader negotiations.
Pakistan, the primary mediator between Washington and Tehran, confirmed Wednesday that talks are expected to resume next week after a brief pause. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi called the pause “a temporary gap” and said the fact that both sides remain at the table is a positive sign. The first round of high-level talks in Switzerland lasted 18 hours, followed by lower-level technical discussions.
As the 60-day clock ticks, public opinion in the United States appears to be turning against the war. A new Quinnipiac poll found that 60% of voters believe U.S. military action in Iran was not worth it, while 59% expressed little or no confidence that the interim deal will lead to a lasting solution. President Trump’s overall job approval rating stood at 38%.
Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, characterized the Islamabad understanding as “a declaration of America’s defeat,” while the U.S. president and his allies tout it as a step toward peace. The coming weeks will test whether the two sides can bridge their differences on nuclear inspections, sanctions relief, and the future of the Strait of Hormuz—or whether the current ceasefire will unravel under the weight of mutual distrust.