Iran may allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to send US inspectors to visit Iranian nuclear sites if nuclear talks with Washington succeed. This was stated on Wednesday by the head of the Iranian nuclear program, Mohammad Eslami, quoted by "Reuters".
"It is normal not to allow inspectors from hostile countries, but if a nuclear agreement is reached, we can allow American inspectors working for the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit our nuclear sites," he said.
Our nuclear industry is for entirely peaceful purposes and all our facilities are under the supervision of the IAEA and there is no lack of transparency," he stressed, adding that uranium enrichment is "the basis of a country's nuclear industry".
On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stressed that his country would not consider temporarily suspending uranium enrichment to secure a nuclear agreement with the United States.
The negotiations between Washington and Tehran aims to resolve a decades-long dispute over Iran's nuclear ambitions, and both sides have taken a tough stance publicly on the Islamic republic's uranium enrichment.
The stakes are high for both sides.
Trump wants to limit Tehran's potential to build a nuclear weapon, which could spark a regional nuclear race and threaten Israel.
Iran, for its part, says its nuclear program is purely civilian and wants to be free from crippling sanctions on its oil-based economy.