Iran Nuclear Talks Reach Crucial Stage in Rome

Iran Nuclear Talks Reach Crucial Stage in Rome \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi says Iran-US nuclear negotiations are entering a pivotal stage, with new talks scheduled in Rome this weekend. Grossi’s visit coincides with a rare visit from Saudi Arabia’s defense minister, signaling potential regional shifts. The talks come amid heightened tension over Iran’s enriched uranium and U.S. threats of military action.

Quick Looks

• UN nuclear watchdog Rafael Grossi visits Iran ahead of Saturday’s U.S.-Iran talks in Rome
• Grossi says negotiations are at a “very crucial” point with a possible agreement in reach
• Iran continues enriching uranium up to 60% purity, near weapons-grade
• Grossi emphasizes the IAEA’s central role in verifying any future deal
• U.S. President Trump threatens strikes if no deal is reached
• Iran’s civilian nuclear projects showcased during Grossi’s visit
• Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman visits Tehran, signaling diplomatic thaw
• Prince Khalid meets Ayatollah Khamenei and President Pezeshkian
• Saudi-Iran détente aims to stabilize Yemen and the Gulf amid rising tensions
• UN welcomes resumed U.S.-Iran diplomacy as a positive step

Deep Look

As the geopolitical chessboard of the Middle East continues to shift, Iran and the United States are heading into crucial nuclear negotiations this weekend, described by the head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog as a defining moment for diplomacy — and peace.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), arrived in Tehran this week ahead of the next round of Iran-U.S. nuclear talks scheduled for Saturday in Rome. These talks follow initial discussions held last weekend in Oman, and could mark a turning point in what has become a volatile standoff over Iran’s rapidly advancing uranium enrichment program.

“We know we don’t have much time,” Grossi told Iranian media. “There is a possibility of a good outcome… I’m in contact with the United States as well.”

Grossi also reiterated that the IAEA will play a key role in monitoring any agreement reached, while calling for all sides to focus on diplomacy rather than military threats.

Trump Threats Loom Over Talks

As talks resume, U.S. President Donald Trump continues to raise the stakes. Speaking alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Washington this week, Trump repeated warnings of a potential strike on Iranian nuclear sites if a deal fails.

“I’m not in a rush to do it,” Trump said, “but Iran needs to understand there’s a line.”

The threat underscores concerns raised by Western officials and the IAEA, which has confirmed that Iran now enriches uranium to 60% purity, edging ever closer to the 90% threshold needed for a nuclear weapon. Grossi has said that Iran now possesses enough fissile material to build “several bombs,” though assembling one would still require additional steps.

Since Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018, Iran has steadily unraveled all restrictions from the agreement, restricted IAEA access, and banned several of the agency’s most experienced inspectors.

Saudi Defense Minister Visits Tehran Amid Warming Ties

While Grossi met with Iran’s atomic energy chief Mohammad Eslami and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Tehran was simultaneously hosting a landmark visit by Saudi Arabia’s defense minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman.

Greeted by Iran’s top military commander Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, the visit marked the highest-level Saudi delegation to Tehran since 1979, and comes on the heels of a 2023 Chinese-brokered diplomatic thaw between the two regional powers.

Prince Khalid met with both President Masoud Pezeshkian and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, signaling a growing alignment between Iran and Saudi Arabia in reducing tensions across the Middle East — especially in Yemen, where Saudi forces have battled Iran-backed Houthi rebels for nearly a decade.

“It is much better for brothers in the region to cooperate and support each other than to rely on outsiders,” Khamenei said during the prince’s visit, according to state media.

IAEA’s Role and Regional Stakes

Grossi emphasized that restoring trust and verification mechanisms is critical if diplomacy is to succeed. The IAEA previously installed surveillance cameras and deployed expert inspectors across Iran’s nuclear sites — access that has been partially revoked over the past five years.

Eslami, echoing official Iranian concerns, said the IAEA must maintain “professionalism and impartiality”, a sentiment that hints at longstanding mistrust between Tehran and the West.

Grossi’s visit, and the Rome talks, come at a moment of high stakes, not just for the Iran nuclear file but for broader regional stability. As the Israel-Hamas war continues and U.S. airstrikes intensify in Yemen and Iraq, the Gulf remains a tinderbox.

“This is a puzzle — and Iran has most of the pieces,” Grossi said recently in an interview with Le Monde. “They’re not far off. But it’s not inevitable.”

UN Supports Renewed Dialogue

At UN headquarters in New York, spokesman Stephane Dujarric welcomed the progress, saying the talks were “a good sign.”

“We hope the dialogue between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran yields a positive outcome that lowers tensions in the Gulf, in the Middle East and between the two countries,” he said.

With pressure mounting from domestic politics, global powers, and regional actors, the coming days may determine whether the long-running Iran nuclear standoff can be cooled — or whether a more dangerous future lies ahead.

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