U.N. Nuclear Watchdog Chief to Visit Iran

By Angelo Amante and John Irish

ROME/PARIS (Reuters) – U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi announced on Wednesday his plans to possibly visit Iran in the coming days to discuss its controversial atomic program. He expressed hope for cooperative engagement with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Grossi previously indicated a desire to travel to Tehran before the Nov. 5 U.S. election to address long-standing issues affecting Iran's relations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Western nations.

"We are already talking to colleagues in Iran for my next visit, maybe in a few days. We still have to confirm the time but this will be done," Grossi stated at a news conference in Rome following a nuclear energy event.

Although Iranian officials have not confirmed the visit, they have expressed willingness to cooperate with the IAEA to resolve outstanding concerns.

Key issues include Iran's refusal to allow uranium-enrichment experts to join IAEA inspection teams and its years-long failure to explain uranium traces found at undeclared sites. Since 2019, Iran has intensified its nuclear activities following the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and the resumption of stringent sanctions.

Iran is now enriching uranium to 60% fissile purity, close to the 90% required for atomic weapon production, with enough higher-enriched uranium potentially to fabricate approximately four nuclear bombs, according to IAEA assessments. Iran, however, denies any intentions of developing nuclear weapons, asserting that its uranium enrichment is solely for civilian energy purposes.

The approach Trump will take toward Iran in his upcoming term remains uncertain. At a recent rally, he mentioned his desire for Iran to succeed as a nation, but emphasized it must not obtain nuclear weapons.

Snapback Sanctions

Prior to the U.S. elections, signs indicated Tehran was open to re-engaging with the E3 (Britain, France, Germany) and the U.S. to revive the 2015 deal and possibly alleviate U.S. sanctions. However, the geopolitical landscape has dimmed due to the recent Gaza conflict following the Hamas attacks on southern Israel and Iran's growing military support for Russia in Ukraine.

Israel's operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, coupled with missile exchanges between Iran and Israel, have heightened concerns about a broader Middle East war, casting doubt on Iran's interest in returning to negotiations with a potentially more assertive Trump administration.

Publicly, Iranian leaders have minimized the impact of the U.S. election outcomes on their national policies; however, they are wary of Trump potentially enabling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to target Iranian nuclear facilities and further impose stringent sanctions.

European powers have attempted to exert pressure on Iran recently despite limited influence, given concerns that a future Trump administration may take time to reassess Middle Eastern policies, leaving inadequate room to negotiate before the expiration of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231 in October 2025, which formalized the nuclear deal and allowed major powers the right to restore U.N. sanctions.