UN Nuclear Chief Meets Iranian Officials Ahead of Renewed US-Iran Talks

The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, held meetings with top Iranian officials in Tehran on Thursday, just days before a new round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States is set to begin in Rome.

Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), met with Mohammad Eslami, chief of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, amid rising international focus on Iran’s nuclear program and diplomacy aimed at its de-escalation. The talks come ahead of the second round of indirect US-Iran negotiations, mediated by Oman, scheduled for Saturday in the Italian capital.

Though the content of Thursday’s meeting was not disclosed, Iran’s Shargh daily described Grossi’s visit as “strategically significant” at a sensitive time in regional and international politics.

On Wednesday, Grossi also met with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is leading Tehran’s side of the talks with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Following the meeting, Araghchi described their discussion as “useful,” emphasizing the importance of the IAEA maintaining neutrality.

“The agency must remain independent and stay away from political interference, particularly from those attempting to derail the negotiations,” Araghchi said, without naming specific parties.

Grossi, for his part, underscored the urgency of diplomacy. “IAEA cooperation is essential to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear activities at this critical moment,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Prior to his visit, Grossi told Le Monde that Iran was “not far” from possessing the capacity to build a nuclear weapon, though Tehran has long denied any ambition to develop such arms.

According to the IAEA’s most recent report, Iran currently holds 274.8 kilograms of uranium enriched to as much as 60 percent—far beyond the 3.67 percent limit agreed upon in the 2015 nuclear deal, but still short of weapons-grade level.

The renewed talks come amid heightened tensions. Since returning to office in January, former US President Donald Trump has reinstated his administration’s hardline “maximum pressure” sanctions policy. In March, he reportedly sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urging negotiations and warning of potential military consequences if Iran declined.

The New York Times reported Thursday that Trump recently blocked an Israeli proposal to strike Iranian nuclear sites, opting instead to pursue diplomacy.

Iran’s leadership, however, remains cautious. On Tuesday, Ayatollah Khamenei noted that while talks had begun on a positive note, their outcome remained uncertain. “The negotiations may or may not succeed,” he said.

Meanwhile, Araghchi reaffirmed Iran’s stance on uranium enrichment. “Our enrichment program is not up for negotiation,” he stated, pushing back against US calls to return to the limits set by the 2015 deal.

He added that meaningful progress would depend on consistent and constructive positions from Washington. “If we continue to hear conflicting signals, the talks will face serious obstacles,” he warned.

Iran’s foreign minister departed for Moscow on Thursday for a previously scheduled diplomatic visit. The Kremlin, in a statement, reiterated its commitment to support efforts aimed at resolving the nuclear impasse.