Lead

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on June 23 that Washington will make new decisions regarding Iran if Tehran refuses to accept International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors, as reported by TASS. Speaking upon arrival in Abu Dhabi as part of a Middle East tour, Rubio denied that there is no understanding between Washington and Tehran regarding the return of IAEA inspectors to Iran.

"We know what they agreed to. I don't know why they have to say the things they say, whatever their internal or domestic politics is, I guess they'll navigate it, but we know what they agreed to do, and now they'll either do it or they won't," the top US diplomat told journalists, commenting on statements by Iranian officials regarding IAEA inspection activities.

"If they do, the process moves forward," Rubio noted. "And if they don't, the president will have some decisions to make," he warned.

Coverage comparison

TASS reported Rubio's remarks in two separate articles. In one, published on June 23, Rubio's comments were framed as a warning to Iran, with the headline focusing on his statement that Washington would make new decisions if Tehran refuses IAEA inspectors. In another article, published on June 24, TASS quoted Rubio as urging Iran to allow IAEA inspectors to enter the country "as soon as possible." Speaking to reporters, Rubio said, "As soon as possible," when asked when, in Washington's view, the IAEA specialists should arrive in Iran.

"The [US] president said that yesterday, they'll be there when they need to get there, but that needs to happen. That's a commitment they [Iran] made, and it's one they need to keep," the foreign minister, who is now touring the Middle East, said.

The TASS report also noted a contrast between Rubio's urgency and President Donald Trump's stance. According to TASS, Trump did not call on Iran to allow IAEA inspectors to enter the country as soon as possible, but said there was no rush; the IAEA experts would return to Iran at the appropriate time. According to Washington, this development is part of the memorandum of understanding signed between Iran and the United States.

Meanwhile, TASS separately reported on June 24 that Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that Tehran would only be ready to discuss IAEA experts' access to nuclear sites damaged during the war after the US fully lifts sanctions and implements its commitments under the memorandum of understanding. Gharibabadi wrote on his X page: "There are no plans to provide access to the attacked facilities or nuclear materials. These issues will be considered and decided only within the framework of the final agreement, after the other sides take practical steps to fully lift all sanctions and implement their other commitments."

Key claims

  • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on June 23 that Washington will make new decisions regarding Iran if Tehran refuses to accept IAEA inspectors, as reported by TASS.
  • Rubio also urged Iran to allow IAEA inspectors to enter the country "as soon as possible," according to a TASS report published on June 24.
  • Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran would only discuss IAEA experts' access to nuclear sites after the US fully lifts sanctions and implements its commitments under the memorandum of understanding, as reported by TASS on June 24.
  • TASS reported that the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon. A formal signing ceremony was initially scheduled for June 19 in Switzerland's Burgenstock, but the document was signed remotely on June 18.
  • TASS reported that on June 21, the US and Iran held talks in Switzerland's Burgenstock, with Qatar and Pakistan acting as mediators, to discuss the implementation of the memorandum. According to a joint statement by Pakistan and Qatar, the meeting took place in a positive and constructive atmosphere, and encouraging progress was made, including establishing a foundation for further technical negotiations.
  • TASS reported that US President Donald Trump threatened to cancel further meetings between US and Iranian officials if no agreement is reached on the return of IAEA inspectors to Iran. Trump said, "They [Iranian officials] told us inside [during the face-to-face negotiations that took place in Switzerland on June 21-22], and we have it down 100% inspections, and if they were right [regarding the lack of understanding on inspections], I'd cancel the [upcoming] meetings right now."

Perspectives

Iranian government position

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran will only discuss IAEA experts' access to nuclear sites after the US fully lifts sanctions and implements its commitments under the memorandum of understanding. He stated that there are no plans to provide access to attacked facilities or nuclear materials until the other sides take practical steps.

US administration position

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington knows what Iran agreed to and that Tehran will either do it or not; if not, the president will have decisions to make. He also urged Iran to allow IAEA inspectors to enter the country as soon as possible, while President Trump said there was no rush, as reported by TASS.