UN Nuclear Watchdog Warns of “Crucial Stage” in US-Iran Talks, Time Running Short

The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, has issued a stark warning regarding ongoing talks between the United States and Iran, describing the current period as a “very crucial stage” with a limited timeframe for resolution, Bloomberg reports.

Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), made the comments during a visit to Tehran on Thursday, emphasizing the urgency of resolving the long-standing standoff over Iran’s nuclear activities. The statement, recorded and shared with Bloomberg, comes ahead of a second round of mediated talks between the US and Iran scheduled for April 19.

“We are in a very crucial stage of these negotiations,” Grossi said, highlighting the potential for both progress and failure. “I want to concentrate on the positive. We see now there is a possibility of a good outcome but nothing is guaranteed.”

The talks, facilitated by other nations, aim to find a pathway back to the 2015 nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The JCPOA limited Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. However, the agreement began to unravel after the US unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran.

Grossi reiterated the IAEA’s commitment to facilitating the process, stating, “We are multiplying our efforts to facilitate this process.”