Head of Iranian IAEA talks ahead of Tehran and Washington nuclear discussion

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is meeting Thursday in Tehran with his Iranian counterpart, as Iran steps up diplomatic initiatives ahead of crucial nuclear talks on Saturday with the U.S.

The IAEA, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog based in Vienna, is responsible for verifying the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program. Western countries, led by the U.S., and Israel have long suspected Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. Tehran rejects these allegations and defends its right to nuclear energy for civilian purposes, including energy.

The IAEA's Director General, Rafael Grossi, is in talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Eslami of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO), according to the official news agency Irna, without providing immediate details. This visit to Iran opens “a sensitive chapter in Iranian diplomacy,” reported the reformist daily Shargh on Thursday.

Grossi stated that Iran was “not far” from having the atomic bomb, in an interview with Le Monde published on Wednesday. “It's like a puzzle, they (the Iranians) have the pieces and they might eventually put them together one day,” said the head of the IAEA. “There is still a way to go before achieving this. But they are not far off; this must be acknowledged,” he added.

“Troublemakers”

Arriving in Tehran on Wednesday, Rafael Grossi met with Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi. Araghchi, a seasoned diplomat leading Iran's side of the nuclear negotiations, lauded on the social network X a “useful discussion” with Grossi. “In the coming months, the Agency can play a crucial role in the peaceful resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue,” he emphasized.

The Iranian minister also condemned the “troublemakers (who) are gathering to derail the ongoing negotiations.” These remarks seem to refer to the apparent shift in stance by the Trump administration.

U.S. negotiator Steve Witkoff stated on Tuesday that Iran must “stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and militarization program.” Witkoff had refrained on Monday from demanding a total dismantling of Iran's nuclear program but advocated limiting Iran's uranium enrichment capabilities.

Iran considers halting all its nuclear activities, including civilian ones, a “red line.” The two nations, adversaries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, began talks last Saturday under Oman's mediation. They have agreed to continue discussions on Saturday. Initially announced in Rome and later confirmed to be in Oman by Iran, they will finally take place in Italy, Tehran announced after another reversal on Wednesday.

Military threat

Before these talks, Iran's foreign minister will be in Moscow on Thursday to discuss the nuclear issue. He will deliver a written message from Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia is one of the signatories of the international nuclear agreement with Iran reached in 2015, which became void following the U.S.s’ decision to withdraw in 2018. Three other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council—France, the United Kingdom, and China—plus Germany and the European Union, are also signatories of the agreement.

The agreement provides for the lifting of international sanctions against Iran in exchange for the IAEA's oversight of its nuclear program. According to the agency, Iran had adhered to its commitments until the 2018 withdrawal decided by Donald Trump and the reinstatement of U.S. sanctions.

Since returning to the White House last January, Trump has called on Iran to negotiate a new agreement but threatens to bomb the country should diplomacy fail. The New York Times reported Thursday that the U.S. president has dissuaded Israel from striking nuclear sites in Iran to prioritize diplomacy.

Iran is the only non-nuclear-armed state enriching uranium at a high level (60%), close to the 90% needed to manufacture a nuclear weapon, while continuously accumulating significant stockpiles of fissile material, according to the IAEA. The 2015 nuclear agreement capped this rate at 3.67%.