Iran bars IAEA from bombed nuclear sites under parliamentary law

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said on Wednesday that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors "will not be granted any access" to the country's bombed nuclear installations, citing a recently enacted parliamentary law and a corresponding Supreme National Security Council resolution. "Parliament itself passed the law, and the Supreme National Security Council has also adopted a corresponding resolution," Qalibaf said in televised remarks posted on his Telegram channel.

"Under this law, no access whatsoever will be granted to sites that have been bombed and damaged," he added. Qalibaf stressed that Tehran "will not grant any access" beyond what the council authorizes, noting that "the IAEA inspectors are only entitled to the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant and the Tehran Research Reactor."

Diplomatic breakthrough

The speaker's remarks coincide with the entry into force of a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran — brokered by Pakistan and electronically signed on June 18 by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump. The agreement provides a framework for ending the war that began in late February and addressing outstanding issues through negotiations, including a cessation of hostilities across all fronts, sanctions relief and the nuclear file.

The deal also encompasses the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and broader regional security arrangements, according to the text of the agreement. Diplomatic sources confirmed the memorandum establishes mechanisms for verification and implementation, though details regarding inspector access to military sites remain contentious amid ongoing tensions.