U.N. nuclear boss says inspectors will visit Iran sites; Tehran says only after a final deal

The head of the U.N.’s nuclear agency signaled Wednesday that Iranian nuclear enrichment sites would be visited by his inspectors, a key component in the interim deal between the United States and Iran to reach an end to the war

The head of the U.N.’s nuclear agency signaled Wednesday that Iranian nuclear enrichment sites would be visited by his inspectors, a key component in the interim deal between the United States and Iran to reach an end to the war.

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But an Iranian diplomat promptly rejected this, saying such a visit can only come after a final deal — a denial that highlighted the precariousness of the ongoing negotiations.

The remarks by International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Mariano Grossi were the firmest yet from the United Nations agency, which is viewed as key in determining the status of Iran’s nuclear stockpile.