US-Iran deal: technical work can begin, says atomic energy agency
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- IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi welcomed the Iran-US memorandum aimed at ending the war and proposed sitting down with American and Iranian counterparts to start formulating concrete verification steps for Iran's nuclear programme.
- The memorandum provides for a maximum of 60 days of negotiations to achieve a "final deal" on uranium enrichment, and requires Iran to reaffirm it does not intend to develop a nuclear weapon.
- The 14-point memorandum also calls for reopening the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping and easing of US and UN Security Council sanctions on Iran.
- Point one of the memorandum demands "immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon."
- Grossi acknowledged IAEA access to Iran's nuclear facilities is "not at a level and in all the locations it should be," but said contact with authorities is ongoing and the agency has "a pretty good idea" of the specific sites it needs to access.
- On enrichment levels, Grossi said "many, many possibilities" could be explored, noting different ranges exist in Iran's current inventory and refusing to speculate about spoilers before talks begin.
Why it matters: The IAEA's involvement gives the deal an independent technical backbone — but Grossi's admission that agency access to Iran's nuclear sites is incomplete signals the verification fight ahead. With a 60-day clock and 14 points spanning enrichment, sanctions, the Strait of Hormuz, and military operations in Lebanon, the scope is enormous and the timeline tight.
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