VIENNA, Austria (AP) — The head of the United Nations’ atomic watchdog said Wednesday that “the jury is still out” on negotiations between Iran and the US over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, but described the continuing talks as a good sign.
Rafael Mariano Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, described himself as being in near-daily conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, as well as talking to Steve Witkoff, the US Middle East envoy.
Grossi acknowledged one of his deputies was in Tehran on Wednesday. Iranian officials identified the official as Massimo Aparo, the head of the IAEA’s safeguards arm. That’s the division that sends inspectors into Iran to monitor its program, which now enriches uranium up to 60% purity — a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
“For the moment, the jury is still out. We don’t know whether there’s going to be an agreement or not,” Grossi told journalists attending a weeklong seminar at the agency in Vienna.
However, he described the ongoing meetings as a good sign.
“I think that is an indication of a willingness to come to an agreement. And I think that… is something possible.”
Iran and the US so far have held five rounds of talks in Oman’s Muscat and in Rome, mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi. A sixth round has yet to be set.
The talks seek to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the US has imposed on the Islamic Republic, closing in on a half-century of enmity.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran’s program if a deal isn’t reached. While Iran has claimed it does not seek a nuclear weapon, Iranian officials have increasingly warned they could pursue one with their stockpile of uranium if the country is threatened.
Israel — which Iran avowedly seeks to destroy — reportedly scrapped plans to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities earlier this year at the US’s urging. A New York Times report on Wednesday said Israel has communicated to the US that it may still strike the Iranian sites, even without Washington, or even if a deal is reached.
Trump has said Iran has been given an American proposal to reach a deal. However, Iran repeatedly has denied receiving such a proposal as of yet.
Before Grossi’s comments to journalists in Vienna, the head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard issued a new warning to the US as the negotiations go on.
“Our fingers on the trigger, we are in ambush and we are waiting,” Gen. Hossein Salami warned. “If they make a mistake, they will immediately receive responses that will make them completely forget their past.”
Despite the tensions, Grossi said he believed “there’s always a way” to reach a deal between the Americans and the Iranians — even with their disagreement over enrichment. He said that the IAEA had been making some “suggestions” to both the Iranians and the Americans, without elaborating.
However, he added that any possible deal would likely require a “solid, very robust” IAEA investigation of Iran’s program to understand where it stands after years of Tehran restricting inspectors’ ability to assess it.
“My conversations with my Iranian colleagues and counterparts, I always invite them to be absolutely transparent,” Grossi said. “And they tell me that a nuclear weapon is un-Islamic. I tell them, ‘Well, yeah. You know, that is perfect. It’s a statement that I respect. But in this business, you have to show it. You have to be verified in this.’”
Asked about his own political future, Grossi acknowledged his interest in pursuing the post of UN secretary-general, which is now held by António Guterres, whose five-year term expires in 2027.
“What I have said to colleagues in other parts of the world is that, seriously considering that, yes, but for the moment, I’m here and I have, as you can see from this discussion, I have a lot on my plate,” he said.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.