Rafael Grossi, head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, has cautioned that Iran is getting alarmingly close to acquiring a nuclear weapon. His warning came just ahead of his visit to Tehran, where he is set to hold crucial talks with Iranian officials about the country's controversial nuclear program.

In an interview with the French newspaper Le Monde, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), likened Iran’s nuclear development to putting together a jigsaw puzzle. “They have the pieces, and one day they could eventually put them together,” he said, while also noting, “There’s still a way to go before they get there. But they’re not far off, that has to be acknowledged.” Grossi stressed that the global community needs more than verbal reassurances from Iran. “It’s not enough to tell the international community ‘we don’t have nuclear weapons’ for them to believe you. We need to be able to verify,” he said.

The IAEA is still responsible for keeping track of Iran's nuclear program and making sure it follows the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal. That agreement started to fall apart in 2018 after the U.S., under President Donald Trump, pulled out. Since then, Iran has dramatically increased its uranium enrichment efforts.

Despite Washington's strong position, Iran insists that its nuclear program is entirely for peaceful purposes. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated, “Iran’s enrichment is a real, accepted matter.” He added, “We are ready to build confidence in response to possible concerns, but the enrichment issue is non-negotiable.” Grossi's visit comes at a time of increased diplomatic activity, as Iran and the U.S. prepare for a second round of direct talks scheduled for Saturday. The first meeting, which took place in Oman, was described by both sides as “constructive.” Iran’s Supreme Leader even mentioned that the negotiations were “going well,” though Tehran has since sent a delegation to Moscow for talks with Russia.

Observing the high-level discussions, Trump stressed that "Iran has to get rid of the concept of a nuclear weapon. These are radicalised people, and they cannot have a nuclear weapon." Iran has confirmed that the following nuclear talks with the United States will be held in Rome this weekend, resolving earlier confusion about the meeting’s location. The discussions will centre on technical safeguards and verification measures to ensure Iran’s nuclear activities do not move towards weaponisation.