Return of barred inspectors to Iran unlikely. IAEA chief says: 'Ship has sailed'

FILE PHOTO: Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) waits for the start of the Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, Austria, September 9, 2024. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog has been pushing Iran to lift its ban of several uranium-enrichment inspectors from Iranian nuclear sites, but the IAEA chief told Reuters that success seems unlikely.

"Unfortunately this ship has sailed," Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in an interview on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.