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Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has called for an active role for the agency in the nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, which are entering their second round. This was reported by Reuters on Thursday, 17 April.
After arriving in Tehran on Wednesday, Grossi held talks with Iran’s foreign minister and the head of Iran’s nuclear programme. The main purpose of the visit is to determine how the IAEA can support the negotiation process and become a neutral mediator between Washington and Tehran.
“I am also in touch with the US negotiator to see how the agency can be a bridge between Iran and the US and help achieve a positive outcome,” Grossi said.
He stressed that any potential nuclear deal must be verified by the IAEA to have international legitimacy.
Return to diplomacy after years of escalation
Negotiations between Iran and the United States were effectively disrupted in 2018 when President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the world’s leading powers. In response, Iran gradually exceeded the permissible limits of uranium enrichment and restricted access for IAEA inspectors.
In February of this year, the agency released an alarming report stating that Iran is enriching uranium to a purity level of 60%, which is very close to nuclear weapons. This is a matter of serious concern to the international community.
Tehran, for its part , rejects accusations of attempts to build nuclear weapons and insists that its nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.
Trump’s threats and the second round of talks
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran if the talks fail, stressing that America will not allow Tehran to reach the level of armed nuclear capability.
The second round of talks between the US and Iran is due to take place this weekend in Rome. Diplomats hope that the IAEA’s presence in the process can ensure transparency and increase trust between the parties, which have long accused each other of manipulation and breach of obligations.
Grossi stressed that the IAEA’s role is not to mediate politically but to provide technical transparency, but acknowledged that the agency can help reduce tensions and support a path to compromise.
