Ships begin passing through Hormuz under UN evacuation plan - Reuters

Access to Iran’s attacked nuclear sites and nuclear materials will only be examined and resolved within the framework of a final agreement with the United States, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Wednesday.

Gharibabadi said in a post on X that any decision on such access would depend on “practical action” by the other side to end all sanctions.

He also said no meeting had been held in Switzerland with IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi despite Grossi’s request, and that no plan existed for access to the attacked facilities or nuclear materials.

Iran, Arab states and Iraq are preparing talks on the future operation of the Strait of Hormuz, including possible Iranian proposals for environmental, navigation and security fees, a diplomat briefed on the discussions told Reuters on Wednesday.

The talks are separate from US-Iran peace negotiations and arrangements to clear mines from the waterway, the diplomat said.

The diplomat said Arab states were expected to oppose fees for ships passing through the strait, while Iran was expected to propose charges linked to environmental protection, navigation and security.

Qatar’s prime minister was in Muscat on Wednesday to begin the process with Oman, the diplomat said. The talks would involve Iran, Arab states and Iraq and focus on reopening the strait and its future operation.

Separate regional reconciliation talks between Iran and Arab states are also being planned in Riyadh, the diplomat said.

UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday that IAEA inspectors would visit Iranian enrichment sites under a memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington.

The United States and Iran have given contradictory accounts about whether the sites would be inspected, but Grossi said the inspections were “going to happen.”

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The United States and Iran have given contradictory accounts about whether the sites would be inspected, but Grossi said the inspections were “going to happen.”

"I can understand political statements, they are part of the reality, but the fundamental thing I would like to remind you and draw your attention to is that there has been a memorandum of understanding, signed by both presidents," Grossi told journalists at a news conference at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan.

He said the agreement explicitly required IAEA supervision of nuclear activities involving Iran’s nuclear material and facilities.

"Obviously, to do that, we will have to inspect. Whether this happens the day after tomorrow or in one week or in 10 days, it's important, but not essential. This is going to happen," he said.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Iran had agreed to long-term, high-level nuclear inspections, adding that he would not allow further negotiations without such an agreement.

“Iran has fully and completely agreed to highest level Nuclear inspections long into the future (Infinity!!!). This will insure ‘Nuclear Honesty.’ If they did not agree to this, there would be no further negotiations,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.

Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that Tehran had no plans to allow IAEA inspectors to visit nuclear sites damaged in war.

His comments came a day after US Vice President JD Vance also said Iran had agreed to invite IAEA inspectors back into the country, describing it as a first step toward a broader nuclear settlement.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told the FT the hotline, agreed during US-Iran talks in Switzerland, was needed to counter "disinformation" and verify threats to ships as mines were cleared from the waterway.

"A challenge" was that people seeking to disrupt the deal could use shipping communications to issue false warnings, he said.

"The hotline’s purpose is to make sure that any ship that gets any type of threat is to be verified by Iran ... and to let the ship pass safely," Sheikh Mohammed said.

He said the waterway had remained open despite statements by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards that it would close again in response to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Mediators had checked with Iranian officials, who said no order had been issued to close it, he said.

LNG return

Qatar expects shipping through the strait to begin returning to normal in the first few weeks of the deal, though Sheikh Mohammed said restoring confidence would take time, the FT reported.

"It cannot be normal in one day, and it will take a lot of effort," he said.

Qatar would resume normal liquefied natural gas production "within a few weeks," except at damaged facilities, he said.

QatarEnergy suspended production after attacks on its Ras Laffan facilities during the war. The company will lift force majeure only when it judges it is safe to operate, Sheikh Mohammed said.

He said Doha would oppose any Iranian plan to charge ships fees to pass through the strait.

"We cannot accept a situation or a condition where our gateway to the world is controlled," he said.

The US and Iran agreed under their memorandum of understanding to extend a ceasefire by 60 days and begin nuclear talks, with Qatar and Pakistan mediating efforts toward a final settlement.