UN Nuclear Watchdog Chief’s Warning Ahead of Tehran Talks

Just prior to arriving in Tehran for discussions, Rafael Grossi, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog, cautioned on Wednesday that Iran is nearing the capacity to produce a nuclear weapon.

Western nations, including the United States, have long accused Iran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran has consistently refuted this accusation, asserting that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful, civilian applications.

In an interview published on Wednesday with the French newspaper Le Monde, Grossi stated, “It’s comparable to a puzzle. They possess the components, and they might eventually assemble them.”

He further added, “There’s still some distance to cover before they achieve that. However, it must be acknowledged that they are not far from it.”

The UN watchdog is responsible for monitoring Iran’s nuclear program and ensuring its adherence to the 2015 nuclear agreement. This agreement was abandoned three years later when the United States withdrew from it during President Donald Trump’s initial term.

Grossi, who leads the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stated, “It’s insufficient for the international community to simply be told ‘we don’t possess nuclear weapons’ in order to be believed. We must have the capability to verify.”

He arrived in Tehran on Wednesday and engaged in discussions with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. He is also scheduled to meet with Mohammad Eslami, the head of Iran’s nuclear energy agency.

Grossi described his discussion with Araghchi as “important”.

He stated on X, “Cooperation with IAEA is essential to provide reliable assurances regarding the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, particularly at a time when diplomacy is urgently required.”

Grossi’s visit occurs before the second round of discussions between Iran and the United States on Saturday, a week after the two nations conducted their highest-level discussions since Trump abandoned the nuclear agreement in 2018.

Both parties characterized the initial meeting as “constructive”.

Araghchi previously stated that Iran’s uranium enrichment under its nuclear program was “non-negotiable” after US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff demanded its termination.

He told reporters, “Iran’s enrichment is a tangible, accepted fact.”

“We are willing to build confidence in response to any concerns, but the issue of enrichment is not negotiable.”
His remarks followed Witkoff’s statement on Tuesday that Iran must “stop and eliminate” uranium enrichment as part of any nuclear agreement.

The day prior, Witkoff had simply urged Iran to return to the 3.67% enrichment limit established by its 2015 agreement with major powers.

In its latest report, the IAEA indicated that Iran possessed an estimated 274.8kg (605 pounds) of uranium enriched to a level of up to 60%.

That level greatly surpasses the ceiling set by the 2015 agreement, but remains below the 90% threshold needed for a nuclear warhead.

After returning to office in January, Trump reinstated broad sanctions against Iran under his “maximum pressure” policy.

In March, he addressed a letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging discussions but also warning of potential military action if these discussions failed to produce an agreement.

Araghchi condemned what he described as the Trump administration’s “contradictory and conflicting positions” ahead of Saturday’s new round of discussions.

“We will ascertain the true opinions of the Americans during the negotiation session,” he stated.

Araghchi expressed his hope to commence negotiations on the framework of a potential agreement, but emphasized that this necessitated “constructive positions” from the United States.

He cautioned, “If we continue to [hear] contradictory and conflicting positions, we are going to have problems.”

On Wednesday, Iranian state media announced that Saturday’s discussions would take place in Rome with Omani mediation, a location also confirmed by an Italian spokesman.

However, US and Iranian officials have not formally verified the venue.

Tehran’s ambassador in Moscow, Kazem Jalili, stated that Araghchi is scheduled to travel to Russia, an ally of Iran, on Thursday.

Iran has stated that the visit was “pre-planned” but will include discussions pertaining to the Iran-US talks.

Araghchi stated, “The purpose of (my) trip to Russia is to deliver a written message from the supreme leader” to President Vladimir Putin.

Iran has engaged with Russia and China, both parties to the 2015 agreement, in preparation for the US talks.

The official IRNA news agency reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed his hope for a deal with the United States ahead of Saturday’s talks.

Khamenei cautioned on Tuesday that while the discussions had progressed well in their initial phases, they might still prove unproductive.

He noted that Iran had already defined its “red lines,” stating, “The negotiations may or may not yield results.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have stated that the nation’s military capabilities are off-limits in the discussions.

And late on Sunday, IRNA stated that Iran’s regional influence and its missile capabilities, both of which are sources of Western concern, were also among its “red lines”.