Iran not far from creating nuclear weapons, warns IAEA director
Photo shows an Iranian flag in Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, during an official ceremony to kick-start works on a second reactor at the facility, accessed on Nov. 17, 2024. (AFP Photo)
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived in Tehran on Wednesday for high-level talks, after warning that Iran is approaching the threshold of developing nuclear weapons.
Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the IAEA, told French daily Le Monde that while Iran does not yet possess nuclear weapons, it has amassed enough fissile material to produce multiple bombs.
“It’s like a jigsaw puzzle,” Grossi said of Iran’s progress. “They have the pieces, and one day they can put it all together. There is a way to go to achieve this. But they are not far from it, we have to accept that. In the last four years, we have seen a remarkable acceleration in Iran in this area.”
Grossi emphasized the importance of the IAEA’s role in any negotiations between Iran and the United States concerning Tehran’s nuclear program.
“They know that we will have to give our opinion on a possible agreement because it will be up to us to check up on it,” he said.
Grossi was welcomed at Tehran’s airport by Behrouz Kamalvandi, vice president of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. During his two-day visit, Grossi is scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Abbas Erakchi and Mohammad Islami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization.
Nuclear talks between Iran and US
U.S. President Donald Trump, who unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran in 2018, recently sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, proposing direct nuclear negotiations. Iran replied to the letter through diplomatic channels in Oman.
The letter exchange led to indirect talks between the two countries on Saturday in Oman, which both sides described as “positive and constructive.” A follow-up meeting is scheduled for April 19 in Rome.
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, said Tuesday that Iran should cease uranium enrichment, reinforcing earlier calls for an enrichment cap.
Foreign Minister Erakchi said Iran is prepared to address international concerns over its nuclear program but will not negotiate its right to enrich uranium.
