Iran will not yield to international pressure to allow renewed inspections of nuclear sites hit by the United States in June, the head of the country’s atomic agency said on Wednesday.
Rejecting what he described as political coercion following the attacks, Mohammad Eslami accused the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog of facilitating such strikes.
“Political and psychological pressure—and irrelevant follow-ups demanding renewed inspections of bombed facilities, effectively completing the enemy’s operation—are unacceptable and will receive no response,” Eslami told reporters in Tehran.
His remarks followed a sharply divided meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, where Iran and its allies, Russia and China, clashed with the United States and European powers over the future of Iran’s nuclear program and the legal status of sanctions.
The session highlighted widening gaps not only over inspections, but also over whether diplomacy itself remains viable.
‘Zero enrichment’
Speaking for Washington, Morgan Ortagus, a counselor at the US mission to the United Nations, said the United States remained open to formal negotiations, but only under strict conditions.
“We’d like to make it clear to the entire world that the United States remains available for formal talks with Iran, but only if Tehran is prepared for direct and meaningful dialogue,” she said, adding that “there can be no enrichment inside of Iran.”
Iran’s envoy to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani, pushed back, saying Tehran would not accept talks premised on surrendering what it views as its legal rights.
“We appreciate any fair and meaningful negotiation,” he said, “but insisting on a zero-enrichment policy is contrary to our rights as a member of the NPT.”
Strikes’ impact
One unresolved issue fueling international concern is the fate of roughly 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium that Iran accumulated before the strikes.
Iranian officials say the material is buried under rubble at bombed sites—a claim that has intensified calls from the International Atomic Energy Agency for access and verification.
Tehran counters that any military attack on safeguarded nuclear facilities fundamentally alters the basis for cooperation.
“It must be made clear what response is required if a military attack is carried out against a nuclear industry that is registered with and monitored by the IAEA,” Eslami said, adding that Tehran would ignore calls for oversight until that question is settled.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly asserted that the June strikes “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Some US lawmakers and independent analysts have questioned the extent of the damage, however, noting that Iran may have preserved key elements of its program.
