The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, is expected to travel to Tehran next week to conduct inspections at two undeclared nuclear sites, according to diplomatic sources. The breakthrough, which follows months of stalled negotiations, has been attributed in part to intelligence sharing by British agencies that provided crucial evidence of undeclared activities.
Grossi’s visit, confirmed by multiple diplomats familiar with the planning, aims to resolve outstanding questions about past nuclear material traces at locations not previously disclosed to the IAEA. The sites, one near the capital and another in the central province of Isfahan, have been the subject of intense scrutiny since inspectors found anthropogenic uranium particles inconsistent with Iran’s declared nuclear programme.
The development marks a significant step in the long-running dispute over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Western intelligence assessments have long indicated that Iran pursued a coordinated weapons programme until 2003, with some activities continuing beyond that date. Iran denies any intention to acquire nuclear weapons, insisting its programme is peaceful.
British intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that their agencies had shared information that helped corroborate IAEA findings. The intelligence, derived from human sources and technical collection, is understood to have identified specific locations and activities that Iran had failed to declare. “The British contribution was instrumental in building the case for inspections,” a senior Western diplomat said. “It provided the IAEA with the confidence to demand access.”
The role of British intelligence is particularly noteworthy given the United Kingdom’s diminished direct diplomatic presence in Iran following the 2011 storming of the British embassy in Tehran and subsequent expulsions of diplomats. The intelligence-sharing arrangement operates through multilateral channels, with the IAEA acting as the intermediary.
Iran’s cooperation with the inspections is seen as a test of its willingness to engage with the international community under President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate. The Rouhani administration has faced pressure from hardliners who oppose concessions on the nuclear issue. Failure to grant inspectors access could derail efforts to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal from which the United States withdrew in 2018.
Negotiations to restore the JCPOA have been stalled since June, with Iran insisting on the lifting of all sanctions and guarantees that the United States will not unilaterally withdraw again. The IAEA inspections, while technically separate from the political talks, are closely watched as a barometer of Iran’s good faith.
The IAEA board of governors had passed a resolution in June censuring Iran for failing to co-operate with the agency. The resolution, supported by the United States, Britain, France, and Germany, warned of further steps if Iran did not allow access. The impending inspections are a direct result of that pressure.
Grossi is expected to hold talks with Iranian officials in Tehran, including the head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi. The IAEA declined to comment on specific logistics but confirmed that a visit was being arranged.
Experts caution that the inspections will not resolve all outstanding issues. The IAEA has also identified traces of enriched uranium at a fourth undeclared site, which Iran has not yet addressed. Nonetheless, the willingness to allow access to two sites is a positive signal, analysts say.
“This is a concrete step, but the real test will be whether inspectors can verify that Iran’s nuclear activities are fully transparent,” said Mark Fitzpatrick, a former US State Department official now at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The British intelligence contribution has been quietly acknowledged in diplomatic circles, with several officials noting that the UK has leveraged its expertise in signals intelligence to fill gaps left by US cuts to intelligence gather after the Iraq war. “The British have become the go-to for precise, verifiable intelligence on Iran,” a European diplomat said.
The inspections are expected to begin in the coming days, with the IAEA’s next quarterly report due in November. A positive outcome could pave the way for a broader diplomatic opening, though significant obstacles remain.
