Iran to keep IAEA talks, open to sanctions-relief concessions

Iran signaled it will keep engaging with the International Atomic Energy Agency and expects another round of talks in the coming days, even as it defends its nuclear program as peaceful and confronts renewed pressure from Western powers. Tehran also indicated it remains prepared to offer concessions that could accompany sanctions relief, while a parliamentary measure has effectively paused instrumented inspections, tying future IAEA access to a decision by the top security body.

In remarks fronting the latest phase of the enduring dispute, Tehran reiterated that talks with the IAEA will continue after the two sides held discussions last week. A foreign ministry spokesperson said that Iran’s relationship with the agency has changed in the wake of the June conflict, but that communications remain direct and ongoing. Iran’s leadership has rejected Western depictions of a covert drive toward weapons capability and argued that any inspections require appropriate approvals from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Iran’s stance comes amid a broader diplomatic struggle sparked by the June air campaign by Israel and the United States against Iranian facilities, which the IAEA has...