The interim US-Iran peace accord gives UN nuclear inspectors access to Iran, the atomic watchdog’s top official said on Friday, after Tehran indicated key sites would remain off-limits until a final deal with Washington was reached and sanctions lifted.

The US and Iran last week signed a memorandum of understanding paving the way for 60 days of talks to resolve thornier issues, including those related to Iran’s nuclear program. Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, said on Wednesday there were no plans to grant access to inspectors.

But International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) boss Rafael Grossi said on Friday that inspections had to happen.

“There is an agreement and to comply with that agreement, the IAEA will have to have access and inspect,” he told a press conference in Japan. “We hope to be there soon.”

“Intentions are not enough. We have to have a very strong verification system in place,” he said.

UN inspectors have already held an initial exchange with Iranian officials to discuss technical issues, Grossi said. The first goal of any visit to Iran would be to check whether IAEA seals on previously inspected material remained intact and whether any material was missing, he said.

“Initial conversations have taken place… We expect this work to pick up soon,” he said.

Iran has not informed the watchdog how much of its enriched uranium survived US and Israeli attacks or where it is.

The IAEA estimates Iran had 440.9 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent before the conflict began. That is close to the 90% needed to make a bomb and well above the 3.67% limit set by a now-defunct 2015 agreement with Iran. The........

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