{"id":37440,"date":"2026-06-18T15:37:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T13:37:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/?post_type=news&#038;p=37440"},"modified":"2026-06-18T15:37:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T13:37:23","slug":"iaea-welcomes-us-iran-memorandum-signals-start-of-nuclear-verification-work","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/news\/iaea-welcomes-us-iran-memorandum-signals-start-of-nuclear-verification-work\/","title":{"rendered":"IAEA welcomes US\u2013Iran memorandum, signals start of nuclear verification work"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the agreement provides a basis for engagement, particularly in relation to monitoring Iran\u2019s nuclear programme. \u201cWe believe the fact that the indispensable role of the IAEA is recognised is a sound point of departure,\u201d Grossi said.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Grossi said the focus now shifts to implementation, with consultations expected between the agency and both countries. \u201cNow it&#8217;s for us to sit down with our American colleagues, our Iranian colleagues and start formulating the concrete steps,\u201d Grossi said.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The reported memorandum outlines a 60-day negotiation period aimed at securing a comprehensive agreement. Key provisions include limits on uranium enrichment, reaffirmation that Iran will not pursue nuclear weapons, and broader measures such as the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The document also reportedly includes an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations across all fronts, including in Lebanon, alongside provisions for easing US and UN sanctions on Iran.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Grossi declined to comment on potential challenges to the agreement, stressing the importance of entering negotiations in good faith. \u201cWe have to initiate any negotiation on the assumption that we are all in with faith,\u201d Grossi said.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>On the issue of uranium enrichment, Grossi said multiple options remain under consideration. \u201cThere are many different alternatives; there are different ranges of enrichment,\u201d Grossi said.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Grossi acknowledged that the IAEA\u2019s current access to Iranian nuclear facilities remains limited, but said engagement with authorities is ongoing. \u201cThe agency\u2019s access is not at a level and in all the locations it should be,\u201d Grossi said.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Despite this, Grossi said the agency has a clear understanding of what is required. \u201cWe have a pretty good idea of the specific things that we need to access,\u201d Grossi said.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Grossi said the agreement marks the beginning of a more detailed phase of work. \u201cIt\u2019s now that the technical work can start for real,\u201d Grossi said.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8211;UN\/ChannelAfrica&#8211;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":37441,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[26],"class_list":["post-37440","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"The head of the United Nations\u2019 (UN) nuclear watchdog has welcomed a new United States (US)\u2013Iran memorandum and signalled readiness to begin technical work on verifying commitments.","published_date":"","news_description":"The head of the United Nations\u2019 (UN) nuclear watchdog has welcomed a new United States (US)\u2013Iran memorandum and signalled readiness to begin technical work on verifying commitments.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/37440","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/37440\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37443,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/37440\/revisions\/37443"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37441"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=37440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}