Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA—the U.N.’s autonomous nuclear watchdog—met with Iran’s foreign minister and nuclear chief in Tehran today in an effort to restore cooperation between the IAEA and Iran. The visit comes as some European countries are pushing to pass a resolution that would put additional pressure on Iran to cooperate at an IAEA Board of Governors’ meeting next week. (AP)
Our Take
Iran’s nuclear program has been back in the spotlight for much of this year, largely because of Tehran’s involvement, by proxy and directly, in the regional war with Israel. Now, though, the looming return of President-elect Donald Trump to the White House has made that spotlight even brighter.
After all, it was Trump’s decision in 2018 to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal—officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA—that freed Tehran from the constraints that agreement placed on its nuclear program. Since then, Iran has built up its stockpile of enriched uranium well above what it would need for a nuclear warhead, while enriching uranium closer to weapons-grade levels and using previously forbidden advanced centrifuges to do so.