DUBAI: International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi is scheduled to visit Iran to take part in a nuclear conference from May 6-8 and meet Iranian officials, Iran’s Mehr news agency said on Tuesday.
“Grossi will meet Iranian officials in Tehran before participating in the International Conference of Nuclear Sciences and Technologies held in Isfahan,” the agency reported.
The IAEA chief said in February that he was planning a visit to Tehran to tackle a “drifting apart” in relations between the agency and the Islamic Republic.
Grossi said the same month that while the pace of uranium enrichment by Iran had slowed slightly since the end of last year, Iran was still enriching at an elevated rate of around 7 kg of uranium per month to 60 percent purity.
Enrichment to 60 percent brings uranium close to weapons grade, and is not necessary for commercial use in nuclear power production. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons but no other state has enriched to that level without producing them.
Under a defunct 2015 agreement with world powers, Iran can enrich uranium only to 3.67 percent. After then-President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of that deal in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions, Iran moved well beyond the deal’s nuclear restrictions.
The IAEA said the 2015 nuclear deal was “all but disintegrated.”

RIYADH: A joint statement from Arab and European foreign ministers highlighted critical priorities in addressing the ongoing conflict in Gaza, following a meeting in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, on Tuesday.

The statmenet called for the urgent need to halt all unilateral violations in Palestinian territories. It also called for the release of prisoners and hostages, putting an end to the war in Gaza and all illegal unilateral actions and violations in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

The meeting was chaired by Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. 

It was also attended by foreign ministers and representatives from Bahrain, Portugal, the European Union, Algeria, Jordan, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Belgium, Turkey, the Arab League, Slovenia, France, Palestine, Qatar, Egypt, and the United Kingdom. 

Ministers reiterated their support for efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Gaza. They emphasized the importance of establishing a unified Palestinian government in both the West Bank and Gaza.

Recognizing the significance of internal unity among Palestinians, the ministers have called for concerted efforts to overcome divisions and work towards a common goal of self-governance and statehood.

The statement also called for adopting a reliable and irreversible path towards implementing the two-state solution. 

Arab and European foreign ministers were gathered in Riyadh on the sidelines of a two-day World Economic Forum special meeting.