Iran parliament speaker says damaged nuclear sites off-limits to IAEA inspectors

TEHRAN, Iran — TEHRAN — Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the country will not allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors access to nuclear facilities damaged in recent airstrikes, announcing that parliament has passed legislation barring such visits and that the Supreme National Security Council has issued a binding ruling to the same effect. Ghalibaf said the scope of any inspections would be set solely by the security council and that Iran would not grant privileges beyond the access levels it has determined. He noted that Tehran has committed only to inspections of the Bushehr power plant and the Tehran Research Reactor. Stressing national unity, Ghalibaf said Iran now needs internal cohesion and rallying around Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei more than ever. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said Friday that the agency's work in Iran would be shaped by the outcome of talks between Iran and the United States. He said on-site verification was a core element of any memorandum signed between the two countries and essential to fulfilling nuclear commitments.