The chief of the United Nations’ atomic watchdog, Rafael Grossi, will visit Iran this week for discussions with senior officials, Iranian state media reported Sunday.
According to the official IRNA news agency, Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is expected to arrive in Iran on Wednesday following an official invitation from the Iranian government. His meetings with Iranian officials are set for Thursday.
This visit marks Grossi’s second trip to Iran this year; he last visited in May, advocating for “concrete” actions to strengthen collaboration on Iran’s nuclear program. His return to Tehran follows the recent U.S. presidential election victory of Donald Trump, who previously withdrew the U.S. from a key nuclear agreement aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
Despite European Union-led efforts, attempts to re-engage the U.S. in the nuclear deal and ensure Tehran’s compliance have yet to succeed. Iran, in response, has gradually rolled back its commitments under the deal, increasing tensions with the IAEA.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, inaugurated in July, has expressed support for reviving the agreement, advocating for reduced isolation of Iran. Meanwhile, former President Trump, commenting on the issue, clarified he does not intend to escalate tensions but stated that Iran “can’t have a nuclear weapon.”
In an appeal on Saturday, Iranian Vice President Mohammad Javad Zarif called on the U.S. to reevaluate its “maximum pressure” sanctions policy. Zarif attributed the increase in uranium enrichment levels to 60 percent—up from 3.5 percent—to the impacts of this policy, which has significantly strained Iran’s economy.
Iran continues to deny any aspirations for nuclear weapons, maintaining that its program is solely for peaceful purposes.
