Any US-Iran deal should include 'robust' IAEA inspections, Grossi says
VIENNA, May 28 (Reuters) - Any deal between Iran and the U.S. that would impose fresh nuclear curbs on Iran should include "very robust" inspections by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday.
The two countries are holding talks meant to rein in Iranian nuclear activities that have rapidly accelerated since President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of a 2015 deal between Iran and major powers that strictly limited those activities.
As that deal has unravelled, Iran has increased the purity to which it is enriching uranium to up to 60%, close to the roughly 90% of nuclear arms-grade, from 3.67% under the deal. It has also scrapped extra IAEA oversight imposed by the 2015 pact.
"My impression is that if you have that type of agreement, a solid, very robust inspection by the IAEA ... should be a prerequisite, and I'm sure it will be, because it would imply a very, very serious commitment on the part of Iran, which must be verified," Grossi told reporters.
He stopped short, however, of saying Iran should resume implementation of the Additional Protocol, an agreement between the IAEA and member states that broadens the range of IAEA oversight to include snap inspections of undeclared sites. Iran implemented it under the 2015 deal, until the U.S. exit in 2018.
Asked if he meant the protocol should be applied, Grossi said "I'm very practical," adding that this was not a subject in the talks. While the IAEA is not part of the talks, he said he was in touch with both sides, including U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.
"I don't think they are discussing it in these terms. I don't see the discussion as being a discussion on legal norms to be applied or not. I tend to see this as more of an ad hoc approach," said Grossi.
While the talks have appeared to be at an impasse, with the U.S. repeatedly saying Iran should not be allowed to refine uranium at all and Tehran saying that is a red line since enrichment is its inalienable right, Grossi said that gap was not impossible to bridge.
"I think there's always a way," he said. "It's not impossible to reconcile the two points of view."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
18 minutes ago
- Reuters
Global economy's 'sugar rush' defies trade drama
FRANKFURT, May 30 (Reuters) - For all the drama surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump's trade tariffs, the world economy is holding up better than many had expected. The latest data from the United States, China and, to a lesser extent, Europe are showing resilience and the global economy as a whole is still expected to grow modestly this year. This is in part due to U.S. buyers and foreign sellers bringing forward business while many of the import duties unveiled by U.S. President Donald Trump remain suspended. While that effect may prove short-lived, Trump's decision to pause tariffs and some glimpses of progress in trade talks, particularly between the United States and the European Union, have fuelled cautious optimism. "We are seeing a bit of a sugar rush in industry, with manufacturers bringing forward production and trade," said Holger Schmieding, an economist at investment bank Berenberg. "The other thing is that we have evidence that Trump pedalled back on tariffs. The bet in markets and to some extent in the economy is that he barks but doesn't bite." Investment banks and institutions generally expect the United States to avoid a recession this year and the global economy to keep growing. The International Monetary Fund downgraded its global GDP growth forecast by just 0.5 percentage points last month to 2.8%. This is roughly in line with the trend over the past decade and a far cry from the downturns experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2008 financial crisis or even the turmoil that followed the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001. No one is venturing a prediction on where the trade negotiations will eventually settle, particularly with a U.S. president who sees himself as unstoppable. This week alone, separate U.S. courts first blocked and then reinstated Trump's tariffs - creating a degree of legal uncertainty that will do little to facilitate trade deals between the United States and those threatened with the levies. While the EU celebrated "new impetus" in its trade talks with the United States, negotiations with China were "a bit stalled" according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Companies are counting the cost of the ongoing impasse. A Reuters analysis of corporate disclosures shows Trump's trade war had cost companies more than $34 billion in lost sales and higher costs, a toll that is expected to rise as ongoing uncertainty over tariffs paralyses decision making at some of the world's largest companies. Car-makers from Japan's Toyota (7203.T), opens new tab, (7267.T), opens new tab to Germany's Porsche (P911_p.DE), opens new tab and Mercedes-Benz ( opens new tab are bracing for lower, or lower-than-previously expected profits if they have not given up making predictions altogether, like Volvo Cars ( opens new tab and Dutch-based Stellantis ( opens new tab. This is likely to result in a hit especially for Japan. The United States is Japan's biggest export destination, accounting for 21 trillion yen ($146.16 billion) worth of goods, with automobiles representing roughly 28% of the total. "While the worst shocks may be over, there's still a lot up in the air," Xingchen Yu, a strategist at UBS's Chief Investment Office, said. "We don't really know what a new normal for tariffs would look like, unfortunately." But so far the global economy has held up pretty well. China's output and exports are resilient as its companies re-route trade to the United States via third countries. Even in Europe, manufacturing activity was at a 33-month high in May, rebounding from a slump induced by more expensive fuel following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Confidence was also buttressed by the prospect of greater fiscal spending in Germany, a missing ingredient for European growth for the past couple of decades. The robustness of the world economy has surprised even professional forecasters. A measure produced by U.S. bank Citi that tracks the degree to which global economic data has surprised to the upside is now at its highest in more than a year. Some of that strength circles back to the tariffs themselves and the attempts by U.S. households and businesses to front-load purchases to beat anticipated price increases later this year. U.S. imports were up around 30% in March from where they were in October. The risk to the upbeat outlook comes from the expected "payback" of those advance purchases, which are unlikely to be repeated and will mean slower activity - in the U.S. and elsewhere - later. Economists still fear a triple whammy in which the front-loaded boost to the goods sector is unwound while U.S. household purchasing power is squeezed by higher prices and companies put off investment and hiring. At the margin, however, this scenario is starting to appear a little less likely after Trump's pause on tariffs. "The balance has slightly shifted towards more optimism, albeit with uncertainty and volatility," ING's global head of macro Carsten Brzeski said. ($1 = 143.6800 yen)
Daily Mail
19 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Explosive report claims crippling drug habit was real reason for Elon Musk's DOGE downfall
Elon Musk was using a cocktail of drugs on the campaign trail as his messy personal life spilled over into his work, according to a report from the New York Times. Musk stormed into politics as President Donald Trump 's chainsaw-brandishing sidekick tasked with slashing the federal bureaucracy, but the tech tycoon has found himself on the chopping block just four months into his stint in government. The Tesla CEO has previously said he was prescribed ketamine for depression and was taking the drug roughly every two weeks. But insiders allege Musk, 53, was taking the powerful anesthetic, which is known to have hallucinogenic properties, so frequently that it was affecting his bladder, the bombshell report claims. He also took ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms and travelled with a daily pill box that contained about 20 different drugs, including Adderall, sources allege. Those around him claim that his consumption blurred the lines between medicinal and recreational, with Musk allegedly having taken drugs at private gathering across the US and in at least one foreign country, according to the NYT report. Musk has claimed in interviews that he only takes 'a small amount' of ketamine and that 'I really don't like doing illegal drugs', but his erratic behaviors, including making an apparent Nazi salute at Trump's election day event, seemingly suggest otherwise. It is unclear if Musk was taking drugs when Trump put him in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Musk and the White House for comment, but did not immediately receive a response. Musk's aerospace firm SpaceX, which is a large government contractor, requires its workforce to be drug free and randomly administers drug test. The tech billionaire, however, would receive 'advance warning' of those tests, insiders with knowledge of the testing process told the newspaper. It is unclear if Musk was forced to undergo drug testing by the White House. In addition to his alleged drug habit, Musk's stint at DOGE was intertwined with private legal battles involving his ex-partners and children. Claire Boucher, known professionally as Grimes, is understood to be fighting with Musk over his public flaunting of their five-year-old son X, which she alleges violates the pair's custody agreement. He also was accused of fathering a secret 14th child with conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair. Musk has allegedly denied confirm paternity of the child. Musk in recent weeks had shown growing disillusionment with the obstacles faced by DOGE even as it cut a brutal swath through the US bureaucracy. He leaves far short of his original goal of saving $2 trillion dollars, with calculations suggesting he saved just one thousandth of that - despite tens of thousands of people losing their jobs. Musk will now focus on his Space X and Tesla businesses, as well as his goal of colonizing Mars. Trump hailed Musk as 'terrific' as he announced that they would hold a joint press conference on Friday as the SpaceX founder leaves DOGE. 'This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way,' Trump said on his Truth Social network on Thursday. But the warm words could not hide the open frustrations that Musk, had expressed in recent weeks about his controversial cost-cutting role. Musk was the biggest donor to Trump's 2024 election campaign and the pair bonded over right-wing politics and a desire to root out what they believed was a wasteful 'deep state '. He quickly became Trump's so-called First Buddy and was constantly at his side. The tycoon appeared with his young son X on his shoulders during his first press conference in the Oval Office. He attended cabinet meetings. He and Trump rode on Air Force One and Marine One together and they watched UFC fights together. But the tech tycoon was frequently exhibiting wild behaviors. He brandished a chainsaw at a conservative event, boasting of how easy it was to save money, and separately made what appeared to be a Nazi salute. But Trump himself remained publicly loyal to the man he called a 'genius.' One day, the president even turned the White House into a pop-up Tesla dealership after protesters targeted Musk's electric car business. Yet Musk struggled to get a grip on the realities of politics. He is understood to have insulted cabinet members during meetings and get into 'fights' with his opponents, according to the report. The impact on Musk's businesses also began to hit home with a series of Space X launches ended in fiery failures and Tesla shares dropping drastically. Musk started musing about stepping back earlier this year, saying that 'DOGE is a way of life, like Buddhism' that would carry on without him. He finally showed the first signs of distance from Trump himself, saying he was 'disappointed' in Trump's recent mega spending bill. Musk also said he would pull back from spending time on politics. The end came in a post by Musk on Wednesday on the X network, which he bought and then turned into a MAGA campaign platform. 'As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,' Musk tweeted. 'The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.'
Telegraph
25 minutes ago
- Telegraph
£30m worth of drugs seized by Royal Navy in Middle East operation
A Royal Navy frigate seized drugs worth £30 million in a significant operation in the Middle East. HMS Lancaster stalked a drug-runner's boat in the Arabian Sea for more than 24 hours after the illegal operations were spotted by the warship's drones. It deployed its Wildcat helicopter to oversee the operation involving a boarding team from 42 Commando which seized 80 packages of narcotics. A Royal Navy spokesman said the haul was made up of 1,000kg of heroin, 660kg of hashish and 6kg of amphetamine, worth an estimated £30 million on UK streets. He said: 'It's the second bust in three months for the British warship, which is based in Bahrain and is attached to a New Zealand-led international task force spread across the Indian Ocean hunting down illegal activity. 'And it's the second time the Royal Navy's new Peregrine drones – mini-helicopters that conduct reconnaissance sorties for hours on end and feed live information back to Lancaster's operations room – have played a vital part in the success.' Chris Chew, Lancaster's commanding officer, said: 'This is another example of where Lancaster has delivered at range, in isolation, utilising her own organic assets. 'Whether they come in the form of her Wildcat, our uncrewed air system Peregrine, embarked intelligence team or her Royal Marine boarding team, they delivered on operations in support of the Combined Maritime Forces and New Zealand-led Combined Task Force 150.' Luke Pollard, the Armed Forces minister, said: 'I congratulate the crew of HMS Lancaster on this significant seizure, which is keeping dangerous and illegal drugs off our streets. 'This operation highlights the unique role our Royal Navy contributes, working to disrupt criminal operations around the world, keeping us secure at home and strong abroad.' In March, the Royal Navy used drones for the first time in a drug bust when HMS Lancaster intercepted smugglers in the Indian Ocean who were trying to move 3.7 tons of heroin, hashish and crystal meth. Royal Marines on board HMS Lancaster located the drug smugglers after Peregrine remote-controlled mini-helicopters were launched from the flight deck. The drones are so-called because they aim to mimic the tactics of peregrine falcons, which scan for their prey at altitude.
