UN nuclear inspectors ‘back in Iran’ for 1st time since war with Israel, watchdog chief says

The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog says a team of its inspectors are “back in Iran,” the first to enter since Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities this year.

Iran suspended cooperation with the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency following a 12-day war with Israel in June, with Tehran pointing to the IAEA’s failure to condemn Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear facilities.

“Now the first team of IAEA inspectors is back in Iran, and we are about to restart,” director general Rafael Grossi tells Fox News’ “The Story.”

“When it comes to Iran, as you know, there are many facilities. Some were attacked, some were not,” Grossi says.

“So we are discussing what kind of… practical modalities can be implemented in order to facilitate the restart of our work there.”

The announcement came as Iran held talks with Britain, France and Germany in Geneva yesterday, with Tehran seeking to avert a sanctions snapback that the European powers have threatened to impose under a moribund 2015 nuclear deal.

Israel said its sweeping assault on Iran’s top military leaders, nuclear scientists, uranium enrichment sites, and ballistic missile program was necessary to prevent the Islamic Republic from realizing its avowed plan to destroy the Jewish state.

Iran has consistently denied seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. However, it enriched uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its ballistic missile capabilities. Israel said Iran had recently taken steps toward weaponization.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.