Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has confirmed that U.S. and Israeli strikes have caused damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities, even as Tehran rejects international inspections of the affected sites. In a statement on July 2, Ghalibaf said Iran will not grant access to bombed nuclear facilities under any circumstances, citing a parliamentary law that bars such inspections.
“We ourselves passed a law in parliament; the Supreme National Security Council also has a resolution. Under this law, absolutely no access is given to sites that have been bombed and damaged,” Ghalibaf said in remarks carried by Iran’s state media. He emphasized that current international inspections are limited to only two locations: the Bushehr nuclear power plant and the Tehran research reactor.
Ghalibaf’s confirmation of damage marks a shift in Iran’s public messaging. While Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has previously insisted the nuclear program remained untouched, the parliament speaker acknowledged the strikes’ impact while drawing a firm line against external verification at damaged sites. This stance complicates ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations aimed at limiting Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
The statement came days after Iran and the United States concluded a round of indirect talks in Doha on July 1. According to Reuters, negotiators spent two days discussing maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and the unfreezing of Iran’s assets—both issues covered under an interim agreement announced two weeks earlier. U.S. President Donald Trump said the two sides were making progress on possible limits to Iran’s nuclear program, the main reason he launched the war with Israel in February. However, sources familiar with the discussions said the nuclear program itself did not come up during the technical talks, with U.S. Vice President JD Vance indicating the matter would be addressed later.
The dispute over IAEA access reflects broader tensions over accountability for the strikes. International inspectors have sought to assess damage at Iran’s nuclear facilities, but Tehran’s new parliamentary law effectively blocks such verification at targeted sites. Ghalibaf stated that Iran will offer no concessions beyond what the Supreme National Security Council has authorized, signaling Tehran’s determination to control the narrative around its nuclear damage and recovery.
Sources
- Mehr News Agency — Ghalibaf’s statement rejecting IAEA access to bombed nuclear sites and confirming damage, July 2, 2026
- Reuters — U.S.-Iran Doha talks on Strait of Hormuz and sanctions relief, Trump’s comments on nuclear progress, July 1, 2026
- IRNA — Ghalibaf’s confirmation that claims of IAEA access to bombed sites are false, July 2, 2026
