Amid talks of a potential deal over Iran’s nuclear program, Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), warned on Wednesday that the country is “not far” from a nuclear bomb. “Iran has the pieces, and they could eventually put them together one day,” Grossi told the French newspaper Le Monde.
Grossi himself arrived in Tehran on Wednesday evening and met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. One of the main points of contention between Iran and the US administration is who will oversee the implementation of a new nuclear agreement if one is signed.
While Iran insists that the IAEA should be the sole body responsible for monitoring any agreement, the US administration remains undecided. Behind the scenes, Israel is pressuring the US to ensure that Washington itself supervises any deal. In his interview with Le Monde, Grossi remarked, “Without us, any agreement is just a piece of paper.”
Another sticking point is Iran’s declared refusal to discuss dismantling its uranium enrichment facilities.
“We’re ready to build confidence in response to possible concerns, but the principle of enrichment is nonnegotiable,” Iran’s foreign minister told reporters.
Iran’s right to enrich uranium is not negotiable, Araghchi said on Wednesday ahead of a second round of talks set to take place in Rome this weekend with the United States regarding Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.
The talks, which began in Oman on Saturday with the Gulf state acting as mediator, are the first between the two adversaries under US President Donald Trump, who has threatened military action if there is no deal.
Araghchi was responding to a comment made on Tuesday by Witkoff, who said the Islamic Republic must “stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment” to reach a deal with Washington.
“We have heard contradictory statements from Witkoff, but real positions will be made clear at the negotiating table,” Araghchi was quoted by Iranian state media as saying.
Talks described as 'positive and constructive'
Last weekend’s US-Iran talks in Oman were described by both sides as positive and constructive.
Western powers say Iran is refining uranium to a high degree of fissile purity beyond what is justifiable for a civilian energy program and close to the level suitable for atomic bomb fuel. Iran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons.
Iranian media said on Wednesday, without citing sources, that the second round of talks would be held in the Italian capital Rome on Saturday. It was earlier announced that the talks would resume in Oman.
Sources briefed on the matter confirmed the change of venue to Reuters.
Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, compared the venue of the Iran-US nuclear talks to a goalpost in a post on X/Twitter on Wednesday, saying moving it might “jeopardize any beginning” and that changing it was a “professional error.”
A diplomatic source said Grossi had also been invited to attend the talks in Rome.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed the talks would be held in Rome but said Italy would not be involved.“Italy simply wants to be a bridge for peace; we have no ambitions of any kind. Such a delicate negotiation is up to the parties involved and their willingness to achieve a concrete result,” Tajani said in a statement.
Message to Putin
On Thursday, state media reported that Araghchi will deliver a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a trip to Russia.
“Amidst important global developments, close, continuous, and trusting communication between Iranian and Russian authorities will serve regional as well as international peace and stability,” Iranian Ambassador Kazem Jalali wrote on X.
The Kremlin on Tuesday declined to comment when asked if Russia was ready to take control of Iran’s stocks of enriched uranium as part of a possible future nuclear deal between Iran and the United States.
Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported that Tehran was expected to reject a US proposal to transfer its stockpile of enriched uranium to a third country, such as Russia, as part of a deal Washington is seeking to curb Iran’s nuclear activity.