VIENNA — Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency are preparing to resume visits to Iranian nuclear facilities, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said Friday. The inspections mark the first verification access since the recent conflict and diplomatic accord.

Grossi told reporters that technical teams would travel to Iran in the coming days to assess key sites and re-establish monitoring. He said the visits were essential to rebuilding international confidence in the peaceful nature of Tehran's nuclear programme. The agency had lost continuity of knowledge over Iranian stockpiles during months of disrupted access.

The planned inspections follow renewed US engagement in the region. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week reaffirmed Washington's commitment to the security of Gulf partners, including the United Arab Emirates, as the new accord with Iran took shape. Iranian officials have insisted that access be limited to declared facilities and conducted under negotiated conditions.

The resumption of inspections carries implications for regional stability and the wider non-proliferation regime. Gulf states, Israel and European governments have pressed for verifiable transparency, while Tehran has sought relief from sanctions and guarantees against further military strikes.

Diplomats in Vienna cautioned that the first visits would be preliminary rather than comprehensive. An IAEA spokesperson said the agency would report its findings to its Board of Governors once initial assessments were complete. The timing of a fuller inspection regime remained subject to continuing talks between Tehran and the agency.