Iran said it will pursue another round of negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency after curbing the UN watchdog’s access to its nuclear sites. Foreign-ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told state media on 18 August that discussions with the IAEA would resume "in the coming days," signalling Tehran is not severing cooperation despite months of tension following Israeli and US strikes on its facilities. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reinforced that position on 20 August, stating Iran "cannot completely cut" its ties with the agency, though he added that conditions are not yet ripe for “effective” talks with the United States. Meanwhile, diplomats said IAEA officials will travel to Washington next week to brief US officials on the agency’s difficulty accounting for Iran’s stockpile of near-bomb-grade uranium. In parallel, Araghchi is due to hold a joint phone call on 22 August with his French, British and German counterparts after the three European powers warned they may invoke the UN Security Council’s snap-back sanctions mechanism if Iran fails to re-engage. Tehran and the so-called E3 agreed to reconvene deputy-level nuclear talks on 26 August, keeping diplomatic channels open ahead of the looming sanctions deadline.