The UN's nuclear chief said on Friday (June 26, 2026) that Iran's pledge not to build a nuclear weapon would need "very strong" verification, as the United States and the Islamic republic negotiate a permanent settlement to end their war.

Iran's nuclear programme is a key sticking point in talks to end the West Asia war, which began in late February with massive U.S.-Israeli strikes.

Iran and the U.S. last week signed a preliminary deal to end the conflict, embarking on negotiations expected to address a host of disputes including the nuclear programme.

But there has been contrasting information from Tehran and Washington on whether UN inspectors will have access to Iranian nuclear facilities.

"I think the objective of this agreement is to ensure that there is no development of nuclear weapons in Iran. The government of Iran has declared quite clearly that this is not their intention," International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Rafael Grossi said on Friday (June 26, 2026).

"But of course intentions are not enough. We have to have a very strong verification system in place... as soon as is practicable," he added.

Mr. Grossi said the UN's nuclear watchdog had so far "barely initiated" talks with Iran following the agreement with the United States.

The deal specifies that the country's stockpile of enriched uranium should be "downblended" under IAEA supervision.

Before the war the IAEA estimated that Iran had 440 kilograms (970 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 percent, below the threshold needed to make a bomb, but the fate of that stockpile is unknown after the U.S. and Israel bombed Iranian nuclear facilities last year.

In Tehran meanwhile, people told AFP that despite the diplomatic progress, there had so far been no tangible benefits in everyday life.

"Overall, nothing has improved," said Amir, 28, a government employee. "Life has simply become more difficult."

Mehdi, 35, a content creator, said that "until such changes are felt in people's everyday lives, it is only natural that hope will remain accompanied by doubt, and that anticipation will give way to exhaustion and anxiety".

'Going to happen'

Iran's nuclear programme has long been a source of friction with Western powers, who suspect Tehran is building a bomb despite repeated Iranian denials.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (June 23, 2026) that Tehran had "fully and completely agreed" to allow UN inspectors to return to the country, while on Wednesday (June 24, 2026) Mr. Grossi said inspections of Iranian nuclear sites were "going to happen".

Iran however said this week it had no intention of admitting the watchdog.

Tehran agreed a landmark nuclear deal with six big powers in 2015 that placed limits on its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief, but Trump walked away from the agreement during his first term as president.

Iran suspended cooperation with the IAEA last year after the U.S. and Israeli attacks in June.

Obstacles ahead

The dispute threatens to derail efforts to reach a permanent settlement between the US and Iran following months of war, with other key disputes being the Strait of Hormuz and Lebanon.

The strait is a narrow stretch of water between Iran and Oman that leads to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, making it a chokepoint for crucial energy shipments out of the Gulf.

Iran closed the waterway during the war in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli strikes, and its control of the strait has emerged as key leverage in the negotiations, as the world economy reels from energy shortages.

On Wednesday (June 24, 2026) an attack on a ship in the strait led the UN to suspend an effort to evacuate trapped mariners, many of whom have been stranded on the water since the war began.

The British maritime security agency UKMTO said a cargo ship was "hit on the starboard side by an unknown projectile", but reported no casualties.

Iran has also said it plans to introduce fees for crossing the strait, a scheme vehemently opposed by Washington and most Gulf countries.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting the Gulf on Wednesday (June 24, 2026), dismissed the idea of charges, saying it would open the door to "total chaos".

Mr. Rubio said the United States wants a deal with Iran but "we don't want a deal at any price".

Tehran has also insisted that a Lebanon ceasefire be included in the regional deal, rankling Israel.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said Israel has "no option but to withdraw completely from every inch of our Lebanese land" that it had invaded, after the pro-Iran group joined the conflict in retaliation for the US-Israeli killing of Iran's supreme leader.

Meanwhile, Lebanon's president Joseph Aoun, who has tried to separate Lebanon from the US-Iran talks.

On Friday (June 26, 2026), he insisted on Lebanon's eagerness for "any international formula that strengthens the capabilities of its armed forces, preserves its territorial integrity, and prevents its land from becoming an arena for escalation or regional tensions".