US-Iran Nuclear Talks Hinge on Strikes and Diplomacy

The US must rule out further strikes on Iran before resuming diplomatic talks, Iran's deputy foreign minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC. The US and Iran were engaged in talks over Iran's nuclear program when Israel struck Iranian nuclear sites and Iran responded with missiles, leading to US involvement and bombing of Iranian nuclear sites. Takht-Ravanchi said Iran will "insist" on enriching uranium for peaceful purposes and rejected accusations of secretly developing a nuclear bomb. He added that the US must be clear on its position regarding further attacks and what it is willing to offer Iran to build confidence for dialogue.

The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, stated that the recent US airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities caused "severe damage" but not "total damage" to Iran's nuclear capabilities. Grossi noted that Iran has the industrial and technological capacities to restart its nuclear program if it chooses to. The IAEA is seeking to inspect Iran's nuclear facilities to confirm the extent of the damage and verify the status of its nuclear program, as there are concerns that Iran may still be able to quickly advance its nuclear capabilities.

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, stated that Iran's nuclear enrichment "will never stop" and that enrichment is an "inalienable right" for the country. Iravani explained that Iran is a responsible member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and has the right to peaceful nuclear energy. He clarified that Iran's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been suspended due to the agency's failure to fulfill its responsibilities, but there is no threat against IAEA inspectors or Director-General Rafael Grossi, despite some criticism and calls for Grossi's arrest and execution in an Iranian newspaper. Iravani also stated that Iran is ready for negotiations with the US, but only on the basis of mutual respect and not on terms of "unconditional surrender."

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated that Iran's nuclear facilities suffered significant damage from recent US and Israeli actions, with key sites in Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan being destroyed to a significant degree. The IAEA will need to re-establish access to the facilities and verify Iran's nuclear activities once diplomacy resumes. Grossi expressed hope that negotiations between the US and Iran, potentially led by envoy Steve Witkoff, would lead to a new agreement that the IAEA could verify. However, Iran recently passed a law to suspend cooperation with IAEA inspectors, which Grossi hopes will not be implemented, as it would contradict Iran's obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The IAEA is waiting to discuss the law's implications with Iran and is concerned about the potential impact on inspections. Grossi emphasized that a diplomatic solution is necessary and that the IAEA will be involved in verifying any agreement.

The UN nuclear watchdog chief, Rafael Grossi, has stated that Iran could resume enriching uranium in "a matter of months" following recent attacks on its nuclear sites by Israel and the US. Grossi said that while the strikes caused "severe damage", Iran's industrial and technological capabilities remain intact, allowing it to restart its nuclear program if desired. The US had claimed that its strikes "obliterated" Iran's nuclear program, but this was disputed by an initial assessment from the US Defence Intelligence Agency, which suggested that Iran's enriched uranium stocks were not eliminated.