Iran Says No United Nations Inspections of Bombed Nuclear Sites Are Scheduled

Iran said on Tuesday that no visit by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had been scheduled to the nuclear sites that the United States bombed in 2025, according to The Hindu. The Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, said there had been no meeting with the agency's director general and no plan for inspections of the facilities at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.

The statement contradicts the United States account of the recent negotiations. American officials had said the talks in Switzerland produced an agreement for the agency to visit Iranian sites. The difference between the two descriptions shows how much remains unsettled in the memorandum of understanding the two governments signed on June 15, which set a timeline toward a final deal within roughly 60 days.

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, quoted by Russia's TASS, said threats from the United States put the negotiations at risk. The ambassador added that Tehran was prepared to continue talks as long as Washington engaged sincerely. Iranian officials cited by The Hindu said Tehran would keep control over the Strait of Hormuz and decide on its own how to use the assets unfrozen under the deal.

The dispute matters to markets because the belief that tensions are easing is what has lowered energy prices. A settlement based on disputed terms can reverse quickly, which keeps a risk premium present in oil prices even as the overall trend is downward.