A team of international inspectors arrived in Iran Saturday, a key step toward fulfilling a deal the country has struck with the United States and other world powers to curtail its nuclear program.
The team of International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors arrived in Tehran and will visit Natanz and Fordo, Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities, according to Iranian state television.
The deal takes effect Monday, amid continued concern on Capitol Hill and elsewhere about whether the Iranian government will fulfill its part of the deal, in exchange for an easing of international sanctions.
As insurance, the Senate has drafted legislation to increase sanctions, as President Obama and his team urged members to wait before enacting legislation.
Under the international deal, Iran will limit its enrichment of uranium in return for some painful economic sanctions being lifted. The deal will last for six months as Iran and the world powers negotiate a final deal.
Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Abbas Araghchi, said earlier in the week that his country could resume enriching uranium to levels prohibited under the deal within about a day, if it chose to do so.
The administration’s top Iran negotiator, Wendy Sherman, asked Senate leaders on Thursday to support the deal, saying passing such legislation could upset Iran and poison the deal.