Trump says he backs idea of inspectors checking Iran nuclear sites
By Trevor Hunnicutt and Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump said on Friday he would like inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency or another respected source to be able to inspect Iran’s nuclear sites after they were bombed last weekend.
At a press conference in the White House briefing room, Trump said he believes the sites were “obliterated.” He has rejected any suggestion that damage to the sites was not as profound as he has said.
But Trump said he would support the IAEA, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog, going in to check the sites that were bombed.
The agency’s chief, Rafael Grossi, said on Wednesday that ensuring the resumption of IAEA inspections was his top priority as none had taken place since Israel began bombing on June 13.
However, Iran’s parliament approved moves on Wednesday to suspend such inspections. Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi indicated on Friday that Tehran may reject any request by the head of the agency for visits to Iranian nuclear sites.
Trump also said he does not believe Iran wants to still seek a nuclear weapon after U.S. and Israeli bombing raids.
He said Iran still wants to meet about the way forward. The White House had said on Thursday that no meeting between the U.S. and an Iranian delegation has been scheduled thus far.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt, Steve Holland and Michelle Nichols, Editing by Franklin Paul, William Maclean)
