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Globe and Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
UN, Iran and Egypt meet in Cairo to discuss Tehran's nuclear program
Iranian, Egyptian and UN leaders met in Cairo on Monday to discuss Iran's nuclear program after a report from the UN nuclear watchdog agency said that Iran is further increasing its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels. Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director-general of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, said that the agency compiled the report, because Iranian's uranium enrichment was a continuing concern for the IAEA's board of governors. 'We hope that by providing the clarification we will be providing an incentive for clarity, an incentive for a peaceful solution and a diplomatic solution,' Grossi said in Cairo. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Grossi as well as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. Opinion: With instability on the rise, more countries could turn to nuclear weapons The confidential IAEA report, which was seen by the Associated Press on Saturday, raised a stern warning, saying Iran is now 'the only non-nuclear-weapon state to produce such material,' something the agency said was of 'serious concern.' Iranian leadership believes the IAEA report is politically motivated by Grossi's hopes to become the next UN secretary-general. Grossi is attempting to attract votes of several members of the U.N. Security Council with the report, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, told the official IRNA news agency late Sunday. 'He basically has chosen a political attitude, and this political attitude has led the environment to be more political rather that technical,' Eslami said. The IAEA report said that Iran, as of May 17, had amassed 408.6 kilograms (900.8 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent. That is an increase of almost 50 per cent since the IAEA's last report in February. The 60-per-cent enriched material is a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected many of the report's findings. Gharibabadi noted on Sunday that out of the IAEA's 682 inspections of 32 states, 493 were carried out in Iran alone. 'So long as a country's nuclear activities are under the IAEA's monitoring, there is no cause for concern,' he said. 'The Islamic Republic of Iran is neither pursuing nuclear weapons nor does it possess any undeclared nuclear materials or activities.' Canada's relations with Tehran stuck in deep freeze, despite Iranian hopes Iran is concerned that the U.S. hasn't provided enough transparency about what Iran can gain from the talks, Esmail Baghaei, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, said on Monday. 'It must be crystal clear to us that how the unfair sanctions against the Iranian nation will be removed,' Baghaei said. The U.S.-Iran talks are an attempt to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions that the U.S. has imposed on the Islamic Republic, which have strained relations for almost 50 years. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who is mediating in the U.S.-Iran talks, visited Tehran on Saturday to present the Washington's latest proposal for ongoing discussions. Araghchi said on Monday in Cairo that Iran will reply to the U.S. approach soon, but there will be no agreement unless Iran's right to enrichment is respected. Iran doesn't plan on leaving the negotiating table, but if the U.S. wants to pressure Iran to give up its entire nuclear program, rather than work with Iran's assurances of a peaceful program, the negotiations won't make any progress, he said. The fifth round of talks between the U.S. and Iran concluded in Rome last week with 'some but not conclusive progress,' al-Busaidi said at the time.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
UN, Iran and Egypt meet in Cairo to discuss Iran's nuclear program
Iranian, Egyptian and U.N. leaders met in Cairo on Monday to discuss Iran's nuclear program after a report from the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said that Iran is further increasing its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels. Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director-general of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, said that the agency compiled the report, because Iranian's uranium enrichment was an ongoing concern for the IAEA's board of governors. 'We hope that by providing the clarification we will be providing an incentive for clarity, an incentive for a peaceful solution and a diplomatic solution,' Grossi said in Cairo. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Grossi as well as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. IAEA expresses 'serious concern' The confidential IAEA report, which was seen by The Associated Press on Saturday, raised a stern warning, saying Iran is now 'the only non-nuclear-weapon state to produce such material,' something the agency said was of 'serious concern.' Iranian leadership believes the IAEA report is politically motivated by Grossi's hopes to become the next U.N. secretary-general. Grossi is attempting to attract votes of several members of the U.N. Security Council with the report, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, told the official IRNA news agency late Sunday. 'He basically has chosen a political attitude, and this political attitude has led the environment to be more political rather that technical," Eslami said. The IAEA report said that Iran, as of May 17, had amassed 408.6 kilograms (900.8 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60%. That is an increase of almost 50% since the IAEA's last report in February. The 60% enriched material is a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected many of the report's findings. Gharibabadi noted on Sunday that out of the IAEA's 682 inspections of 32 states, 493 were carried out in Iran alone. 'So long as a country's nuclear activities are under the IAEA's monitoring, there is no cause for concern,' he said. 'The Islamic Republic of Iran is neither pursuing nuclear weapons nor does it possess any undeclared nuclear materials or activities.' Questions about U.S. transparency Iran is concerned that the U.S. hasn't provided enough transparency about what Iran can gain from the talks, Esmail Baghaei, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, said on Monday. 'It must be crystal clear to us that how the unfair sanctions against the Iranian nation will be removed,' Baghaei said. The U.S.-Iran talks are an attempt to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions that the U.S. has imposed on the Islamic Republic, which have strained relations for almost 50 years. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who is mediating in the U.S.-Iran talks, visited Tehran on Saturday to present the Washington's latest proposal for ongoing discussions. Araghchi said on Monday in Cairo that Iran will reply to the U.S. approach soon, but there will be no agreement unless Iran's right to enrichment is respected. Iran doesn't plan on leaving the negotiating table, but if the U.S. wants to pressure Iran to give up its entire nuclear program, rather than work with Iran's assurances of a peaceful program, the negotiations won't make any progress, he said. The fifth round of talks between the U.S. and Iran concluded in Rome last week with 'some but not conclusive progress,' al-Busaidi said at the time. Melanie Lidman reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Iran signals possible access for US inspectors if nuclear talks succeed
Listen to article Iran might allow the UN atomic watchdog to send US inspectors to Iranian sites if Tehran's talks with Washington succeed, Iran's nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami said on Wednesday. Tehran and Washington are expected to hold a sixth round of talks to solve a decades-long dispute over Iran's nuclear programme, with US President Donald Trump predicting "good news". "It is normal that inspectors from hostile countries are not allowed, but if a nuclear deal is reached, we might allow American inspectors working for the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit our nuclear sites," Eslami told a press conference in Tehran. Read more: Iran can survive if nuclear talks with US fail: President Pezeshkian The two countries have clashed over the issue of uranium enrichment in Iran, which Washington says is a possible pathway to building nuclear weapons and must be brought to zero. Tehran maintains its nuclear programme is exclusively for civilian purposes and views its enrichment industry as a red line. "Enrichment is the foundation and pillar of the country's nuclear industry. Suppose someone is allowed to have an electricity substation and network, but not allowed to establish a power plant," Eslami said.
Roya News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
Iran says may allow US inspectors from nuclear watchdog if deal reached
Iran on Wednesday said it may consider allowing US inspectors with the United Nations nuclear watchdog to inspect its facilities if a deal is reached with the United States. Iran has long been accused by Western powers of seeking to develop nuclear weapons – a claim Tehran has consistently denied, insisting its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful, civilian purposes. Tehran and Washington have in recent weeks held five rounds of talks focused on the issue – their highest-level contact since the US in 2018 withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal during Donald Trump's first term. "Countries that were hostile to us and behaved unprincipledly over the years -- we have always tried not to accept inspectors from those countries," Iran's nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami told reporters, referring to staff from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Tehran "will reconsider accepting American inspectors through the agency" if "an agreement is reached, and Iran's demands are taken into account", he added. Since returning to office in January, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" policy on Tehran, including by imposing new sanctions on the Islamic republic. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Wednesday that "consultations are ongoing regarding the time and location of the next round of talks, and once finalised, they will be announced by Oman". President Masoud Pezeshkian, currently on an official visit to Oman, thanked the Gulf state for its mediation efforts between the longtime adversaries, which have had no formal diplomatic ties since 1979. Iranian Foreign Minister and top negotiator Abbas Araghchi, who is accompanying Pezeshkian in Oman, said that "the date for the new round of negotiations will probably be clarified within the next few days". 'Non-negotiable' While welcoming the negotiations, Iranian officials have repeatedly declared uranium enrichment "non-negotiable". US officials, including Washington's representative in the talks, Steve Witkoff, have also publicly identified it as a red line. Eslami also said that the issue of enrichment "has not been raised at all" and "the enrichment percentage should not be raised politically". "The enrichment percentage depends on the type of use. When highly enriched uranium is produced, it does not necessarily mean military use," he told reporters. Baqaei meanwhile said: "The continuation of enrichment in Iran is an inseparable part of the country's nuclear industry and a fundamental principle for the Islamic Republic of Iran." "Any proposal or initiative that contradicts this principle or undermines this right is unacceptable." Iran currently enriches uranium up to 60 percent -- the highest level of any non-nuclear weapons state. That rate is still below the 90 percent threshold required for a nuclear weapon, but far above the 3.67 percent limit set under the 2015 deal. The European parties to the 2015 nuclear accord – France, Germany, and the United Kingdom – are weighing whether to trigger the agreement's "snapback" mechanism, which would reinstate UN sanctions on Iran for non-compliance.
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Iran says may allow U.S. inspectors from nuclear watchdog if deal reached
Iran on Wednesday (May 28, 2025) said it may consider allowing U.S. inspectors with the United Nations nuclear watchdog to inspect its facilities if a deal is reached with the United States. Iran has long been accused by Western powers of seeking to develop nuclear weapons — a claim Tehran has consistently denied, insisting its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful, civilian purposes. Tehran and Washington have in recent weeks held five rounds of talks focused on the issue — their highest-level contact since the U.S. in 2018 withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal during Donald Trump's first term. Also Read | U.S. targets Iran with fresh sanctions ahead of next nuclear talks "Countries that were hostile to us and behaved unprincipledly over the years — we have always tried not to accept inspectors from those countries," Iran's nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami, told reporters, referring to staff from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Tehran "will reconsider accepting American inspectors through the agency" if "an agreement is reached, and Iran's demands are taken into account", he added. Since returning to office in January, Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" policy on Tehran, including by imposing new sanctions on the Islamic republic. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Wednesday (May 28) that "consultations are ongoing regarding the time and location of the next round of talks, and once finalised, they will be announced by Oman". President Masoud Pezeshkian, currently on an official visit to Oman, thanked the Gulf state for its mediation efforts between the longtime adversaries, which have had no formal diplomatic ties since 1979. Iranian Foreign Minister and top negotiator Abbas Araghchi, who is accompanying Pezeshkian in Oman, said that "the date for the new round of negotiations will probably be clarified within the next few days". Non-negotiable While welcoming the negotiations, Iranian officials have repeatedly declared uranium enrichment "non-negotiable". U.S. officials, including Washington's representative in the talks, Steve Witkoff, have also publicly identified it as a red line. Mr. Eslami also said that the issue of enrichment "has not been raised at all" and "the enrichment percentage should not be raised politically". "The enrichment percentage depends on the type of use. When highly enriched uranium is produced, it does not necessarily mean military use," he told reporters. Mr. Baqaei, meanwhile, said: "The continuation of enrichment in Iran is an inseparable part of the country's nuclear industry and a fundamental principle for the Islamic Republic of Iran." "Any proposal or initiative that contradicts this principle or undermines this right is unacceptable." Iran currently enriches uranium up to 60% — the highest level of any non-nuclear weapons state. That rate is still below the 90 percent threshold required for a nuclear weapon, but far above the 3.67 percent limit set under the 2015 deal. The European parties to the 2015 nuclear accord — France, Germany, and the United Kingdom — are weighing whether to trigger the agreement's "snapback" mechanism, which would reinstate UN sanctions on Iran for non-compliance. Tehran has repeatedly warned against activating the measure.
