Skip to main content

IAEA’s Grossi to visit Tehran ahead of second round of US-Iran nuclear talks

The IAEA chief’s visit comes just days after nuclear talks between the US and Iran and less than a week after a senior Iranian official threatened to halt compliance with the nuclear watchdog.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (R) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi pose for a photo before their meeting in Tehran on November 14, 2024. (Photo by Atta KENARE / AFP) (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (R) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi pose for a photo before their meeting in Tehran on November 14, 2024. — ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi will visit Iran this week as US-Iran diplomatic efforts intensify against a backdrop of mutual threats of military escalation.

What happened: Grossi made the announcement on Monday morning in a post on X, welcoming Iran’s newly appointed ambassador to international organizations in Vienna, Reza Najafi. "Continued engagement and cooperation with the agency is essential at a time when diplomatic solutions are urgently needed," Grossi said. 

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi specified on Monday that Grossi will arrive in Iran on Wednesday.

Background: Grossi’s visit comes on the heels of talks between Iran and the US in Oman on Saturday. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led the Iranian side, while the US side was led by Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. The talks were facilitated by Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi.  

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

Continue reading this exclusive analysis

Original reporting and analysis unavailable elsewhere. Subscribe to AL-MONITOR to read this story and access everything we publish