Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear watchdog, announced on Tuesday, September 9, that they had reached a new cooperation framework to allow inspections at Iranian nuclear facilities to resume.

Iran had suspended its collaboration with the IAEA in June, after Israeli and US strikes targeted its nuclear sites. The new agreement marks the first step toward restoring oversight.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said on the social media platform X that “practical arrangements for resuming inspections” were agreed during his meeting in Cairo with Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi. He described the outcome as “an important step in the right direction.”

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei confirmed the deal on state television, stressing that both sides had agreed on the procedures to be followed under the new framework.

The agreement comes at a sensitive moment, as tensions over Iran’s nuclear program continue to draw international scrutiny.