Iran, Egypt, IAEA hold nuclear talks as Tehran mulls US proposal: What to know
Iran is engaging on multiple diplomatic fronts as it weighs a new US proposal and braces for potential censure by the UN’s nuclear watchdog.
The foreign ministers of Iran and Egypt and the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held talks in Cairo on Monday. The high-level meeting, which focused on Iran’s nuclear program, came after the United States put forth a proposal in its nuclear negotiations with Iran and just days ahead of a critical IAEA board meeting.
The talks were part of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s two-day visit to Cairo, which also included a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi — a further signal of warming ties between Tehran and Cairo after years of estrangement.
Speaking after the meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, Araghchi said, “If the purpose of [nuclear] negotiations is to eliminate Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities, then a deal will not be achievable.”
Grossi’s involvement points to intensified diplomacy ahead of the IAEA board meeting on June 9, during which Western powers are expected to push for a formal censure of Iran.
