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The United Nations' nuclear watchdog announced Tuesday that its inspectors have returned to Iran for the first time since Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities earlier this year prompted Tehran to suspend cooperation with the agency.
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, confirmed the development during a Fox News interview, saying the first team of IAEA inspectors is "back in Iran" and preparations are underway to restart monitoring operations.
"When it comes to Iran, as you know, there are many facilities. Some were attacked, some were not," Grossi said.
"So we are discussing what kind of... practical modalities can be implemented to facilitate the restart of our work there."
The announcement coincided with renewed diplomatic efforts in Geneva, where Iranian officials met Tuesday with representatives from Britain, France and Germany.
Tehran is working to prevent the European powers from triggering a "snapback mechanism" that would reimpose international sanctions under the dormant 2015 nuclear agreement.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who participated in the Geneva discussions, said it was "high time" for the European nations "to make the right choice and give diplomacy time and space."
The three European countries have threatened to activate the snapback provision by the end of August.
Iran suspended its cooperation with the IAEA following the 12-day conflict with Israel in June, citing the agency's failure to condemn the strikes on its nuclear installations.
The June conflict between Iran and Israel significantly disrupted nuclear diplomacy, leading to the suspension of Iran's nuclear negotiations with the United States and straining Tehran's relationship with international monitoring bodies.
The 12-day war began with what sources described as an unprecedented Israeli surprise attack.
Israel has justified its military action as necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, a goal that Iranian officials have consistently denied pursuing.
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