UN Agency: Iran Approves Tougher Nuke Inspections

The United Nations atomic agency says Iran has agreed to allow greater monitoring of Tehran's commitment to the nuclear deal it signed with six world powers. The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency said Sunday that Iran will "provisionally apply" the agreement allowing for more intrusive inspections once the landmark July 14 deal starts to be implemented. The so-called Additional Protocol goes beyond basic oversight provided by the safeguards agreement that IAEA member nations have with the agency. For instance, it allows short-notice inspections of sites the IAEA may suspect of undeclared nuclear activities.

The deal crimping Iran's nuclear programs in exchange for sanctions relief will formally take effect Sunday, opening the way for the start of its implementation. But the changes will not happen immediately, and Iran must further constrain its nuclear program before relief from sanctions will occur, the AP reports. Senior Obama administration officials said Saturday that no relief from the penalties will occur until the IAEA has verified Iran's compliance with the terms of the agreement. They said Iran's work will almost certainly take more than the two months Iran has projected. (More Iranian nuclear program stories.)