IAEA chief stresses diplomacy ahead of US-Iran talks in Switzerland

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog underlined the importance of diplomacy as US and Iranian delegations prepare for talks in Switzerland on Sunday.

“At this critical moment, it’s important to give diplomacy every opportunity to succeed,” International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said on US social media company X.

Grossi said he met with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in Burgenstock to take stock of recent developments on Iran and the role of the IAEA in the negotiations and thanked Switzerland for its “longstanding support” of the watchdog and its commitment to multilateral diplomacy.

Earlier, Cassis also met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ahead of direct talks between the US and Iran in Burgenstock, Switzerland.

The signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday had set the stage for direct talks in Switzerland.