IRAN said on Wednesday (August 26) that U.N. nuclear watchdog inspectors would not be allowed to visit nuclear facilities damaged during recent military attacks until new inspection procedures are established.
Speaking to media, Iran's Atomic Energy Organization chief Mohammad Eslami said Iran was complying with a parliamentary law governing sites that had been attacked and argued that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had failed to condemn the strikes.
Eslami questioned the agency's independence, accusing it of coming under pressure from the United States and Israel to gain access to the damaged facilities.
"The IAEA must clarify its position on the security of these sites and state what protocol it has for facilities that come under military attack," Eslami said.
Though active hostilities between the U.S. and Iran have largely subsided in recent weeks, diplomatic efforts to reach a peace deal have stalled, and continuing attacks on ships mean passage through the Strait of Hormuz remains perilous.
The exact state of Iran's nuclear program, which the U.S. and Israel aim to dismantle, remains unknown.
