Grossi: Iran’s nuclear stockpile could be reduced or moved abroad – Shafaq News

Shafaq News- Tokyo

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director
General Rafael Grossi said on Friday that reducing Iran’s stockpile of nuclear
material or transferring it abroad remains a viable option while Washington and
Tehran pursue a comprehensive agreement.

Speaking to reporters in Japan, Grossi expressed hope
of visiting Iran soon, confirming that a mechanism is in place to verify the
country’s nuclear program. He also urged that nuclear facilities not be
targeted and said Iran’s nuclear material appears to have remained in place
since the agency’s last visit in 2025, calling on Tehran to demonstrate that it
is not pursuing a nuclear weapon.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry ruled out IAEA inspections of
nuclear facilities damaged during the recent war earlier this week, with spokesperson
Esmaeil Baqaei noting no special arrangements had been made to examine the
affected sites. He maintained that Tehran remains committed to its obligations
under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said IAEA
personnel would deploy “at the appropriate time” while reaffirming Washington’s
commitment to reaching a final accord with Tehran.

The first round of US-Iran negotiations concluded on
Sunday at the Swiss resort of Burgenstock. Iran’s delegation, led by Parliament
Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, met a US team headed by Vice President JD
Vance, with Qatar and Pakistan acting as mediators. Vance called the talks “a
very, very good day,” saying Tehran had agreed to admit international nuclear
monitors as a first step toward permanently denuclearizing the country.

Tehran, however, rejected that account, insisting the
negotiations did not cover nuclear issues and that no commitments on
international monitoring were made.