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Rafael Mariano Grossi, director-general of the International
Atomic Energy Agency, made the comment to journalists attending
a weeklong seminar at the agency in Vienna.
Grossi acknowledged one of his deputies was in Tehran on
Wednesday. Iranian officials identified the official as Massimo
Aparo, the head of the IAEA’s safeguards arm.
“For the moment, the jury is still out,” Grossi said. “The fact
that they continue to meet … that is an indication of a
willingness to come to an agreement.”
The talks seek to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for
the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the U.S.
has imposed on the Islamic Republic, closing in on a
half-century of enmity.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash
airstrikes targeting Iran’s program, if a deal isn’t reached.
Iranian officials increasingly warn they could pursue a nuclear
weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near
weapons-grade levels.
Before Grossi’s comments to journalists in Vienna, the head of
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard issued a new warning to
the U.S. as the negotiations go on.
“Our fingers on the trigger, we are in ambush and we are
waiting,” Gen. Hossein Salami warned. “If they make a mistake,
they will immediately receive responses that will make them
completely forget their past.”
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Nasser Karimi and Amir Vahdat contributed to this report from
Tehran, Iran.
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