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Iran's nuclear program

Iran considering possibility of IAEA chief’s participation in new round of talks with US

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei says a potential visit by IAEA to Iran "requires an agreed concrete procedure"

TEHRAN, February 23. /TASS/. Iran is considering the possibility of Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), participating in the next round of negotiations with the United States on the nuclear dossier, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei said.

"As for his potential participation in the next round of talks, this possibility is being looked at. So far, I cannot give a definite answer but this topic was raised because he was playing a role during the previous round," the Iranian foreign ministry quoted him as saying.

When asked about a potential visit by IAEA inspectors to the Iranian nuclear facilities that were damaged in the US strikes in June 2025, he said that this issue "requires an agreed concrete procedure that is to be elaborated with due account of all aspects including the law passed by the parliament and the procedure stipulated by this law." "So far, we are not at such a stage, although exchanges of contacts occur on a regular basis as part of our cooperation with the agency," he added.

In January, the White House warned that it was ready to use force if Tehran fails to engage in talks aimed at reaching a "fair deal" under which Iran completely drops any plans to obtain nuclear weapons. The Iranian government has repeatedly said it had no plans of creating a nuclear bomb.

On February 17, the second round of negotiations between the US and Iran on the nuclear issue took place in Geneva, mediated by Oman. According to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the parties reached mutual understanding on a number of issues, which could serve as a basis for a draft future agreement on the nuclear program. US Vice President JD Vance said that the talks went well on a number of aspects, but Tehran is not yet ready to accept some of the fundamental positions outlined by the White House. Earlier, the United States and Israel insisted that Iran not only scrap its nuclear program, but also stop producing ballistic missiles and supporting pro-Iranian forces in the Middle East.

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