IAEA’s Grossi to visit Tehran ahead of second round of US-Iran nuclear talks
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IAEA’s Grossi to visit Tehran ahead of second round of US-Iran nuclear talks
The IAEA chief’s visit comes just days after nuclear talks between the US and Iran and less than a week after a senior Iranian official threatened to halt compliance with the nuclear watchdog.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (R) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi pose for a photo before their meeting in Tehran on November 14, 2024. — ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi will visit Iran this week as US-Iran diplomatic efforts intensify against a backdrop of mutual threats of military escalation.
What happened: Grossi made the announcement on Monday morning in a post on X, welcoming Iran’s newly appointed ambassador to international organizations in Vienna, Reza Najafi. "Continued engagement and cooperation with the agency is essential at a time when diplomatic solutions are urgently needed," Grossi said.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi specified on Monday that Grossi will arrive in Iran on Wednesday.
Timely to welcome Iran’s Ambassador Reza Najafi to @IAEAorg for the presentation of his credentials, ahead of my travel to Tehran 🇮🇷 later this week. Continued engagement and cooperation with the Agency is essential at a time when diplomatic solutions are urgently needed. pic.twitter.com/2I5lIfITHd
Background: Grossi’s visit comes on the heels of talks between Iran and the US in Oman on Saturday. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led the Iranian side, while the US side was led by Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. The talks were facilitated by Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi.
A statement released by the White House said that the “discussions were very positive and constructive,” adding that the sides will meet again next Saturday. According to an Axios report on Sunday, the second round of discussions will take place in Rome.
The talks are aimed at negotiating a new nuclear deal with Iran. The previous deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, imposed restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief and other economic benefits. Trump withdrew from this deal in 2018, claiming that he would re-negotiate an agreement more advantageous to the US.
Saturday’s meeting marked the first high-level talks since 2022, when Biden tried to revive a nuclear deal, and the first ever between Iran and the Trump administration, including during his first term.
While Iran remained compliant with the JCPOA for a year following the US' withdrawal, Iran’s stockpile of 60% enriched uranium — just one technical step away from weapons-grade 90% enrichment — has been on the rise since 2019.
February reports from the IAEA said that Iran has increased its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium by over 200 pounds since its last report in November. According to the IAEA, Iran now possesses an estimated 605 pounds of uranium enriched to 60%, while its total stockpile of enriched uranium now stands at 18,286 pounds, up by 3,725 pounds since November. According to the IAEA, roughly 92 pounds of 90% enriched uranium are needed to produce one nuclear bomb. Iran has repeatedly said its nuclear program is solely for peaceful energy purposes.
Know more: Meanwhile, as Grossi heads to Iran, Araghchi is set to visit Moscow toward the end of the week, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei.
Baqaei said that the pre-planned trip would be “an opportunity to discuss the latest developments related to the Muscat talks.” Moscow has voiced its firm support for Tehran's civilian nuclear program and recently held talks with Iran and China on the Iranian nuclear issue.
Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin last Friday in St. Petersburg, where the two held negotiations for more than four hours on the Russia-Ukraine war. Since entering office, Trump and his administration have made clear their willingness to negotiate with Russia — a key ally of Iran.
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