Vienna: The head of the UN's atomic energy agency announced on Wednesday that a deal has been struck with Iran to resume cooperation on inspections of Tehran's nuclear facilities. Indispensable monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ended in June, agency chief Rafael Grossi said, when Israel and US-backed airstrikes targeted Iran's nuclear power installations.

According to United Nations, at the time, the Iranian authorities confirmed that the Natanz enrichment site had been impacted without affecting existing radiation levels, the top IAEA diplomat said.

The new agreement—preceded by weeks of technical discussions in Tehran and Vienna over verification activities of all facilities and installations in Iran—came despite the decision by Iranian lawmakers on 25 June to suspend cooperation with IAEA, a move approved by the country's President one week later. At the time, Mr. Grossi noted that this domestic decision did not alter Iran's international nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) obligations.

Earlier this week, he insisted that the NPT agreement remained in force as the sole legally binding treaty governing the rights and obligations of the IAEA and Iran with respect to safeguards implementation in Iran. While acknowledging that his Iranian interlocutors had declared their willingness to remain part of the international non-proliferation movement, Mr. Grossi noted Tehran's concerns.

Nonetheless, the deal—sealed by Mr. Grossi and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi in Cairo on Monday—provides for a clear understanding of the procedures for inspection, notifications, and their implementation, he insisted. The agreement also contemplates reporting on all facilities targeted by Israel and the US in June, including the nuclear material present in Iran, the IAEA chief continued.

"These practical steps…need to be implemented now," he insisted. "There may be difficulties and issues to be resolved for sure, but we now know what we have to do and the elements at our disposal for these basic understandings to be implemented."