The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog has suggested an alternative agreement to the landmark Iran nuclear deal could break the deadlock in talks between the regime and world powers.
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the coming weeks and months would be crucial in determining the direction the talks take.
Mr Grossi warned the Chatham House think tank in London on Tuesday against adopting a defeatist approach to the signatories’ sluggish efforts to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
The landmark accord signed in 2015 collapsed after then US president Donald Trump pulled out in 2018 and reinstated severe banking and oil sanctions on Iran.
Mr Grossi floated the idea of an alternative deal as a means to break the stagnation.
“Europe has been a very strong advocate of JCPOA,” he said.
“Of course, the geostrategic factors are weighing because it's not so far away and the Middle East consideration that we were mentioning is very important.
“I think in the case of Europe, it is very important that they continue to support us in trying to find a viable way forward — JCPOA or no JCPOA.
“What we need to make sure is that we have the necessary elements to make sure that there is no proliferation, that this [nuclear] programme does not cross a line.
"And that might be through something like the JCPOA or something else. On this I’m neutral.”
Mr Grossi said the IAEA, based in Vienna, would be willing to “provide the monitoring elements to help Iran give the assurances they say they want to give the world that there is no deviation of nuclear material”.
But he said the watchdog’s role was strictly non-political.
Mr Grossi denied the IAEA was giving the international community a false sense of security by saying Iran does not have nuclear weapons.
He said the watchdog had inspectors in Iran every day and although access to some nuclear sites was restricted they had a good idea of the situation.
Mr Grossi denied the suggestion that Russia’s growing bond with Iran could somehow block the IAEA’s work to monitor the regime’s nuclear programme.
“Russia has no ability to obstruct the IAEA’s work in Iran,” he told the audience.
Mr Grossi said that despite the lack of progress in talks aimed at bringing about a return of the nuclear deal, he remained optimistic.
“I wouldn't despair in the sense that the JCPOA cannot be revived,” he said.
“I'm not saying yes JCPOA [or] no JCPOA. The important thing is to keep the non-proliferation rule strongly in place, and so we will see.
“The next few weeks and months will be crucial to determine whether there is a possibility.”
Mr Grossi emphasised the urgency to strike an agreement.
“It is the gap that worries me at this point in time because we are losing the visibility and the programme continues to work," he said.
"This is why I need to go to Tehran. We need to talk and we need to do it soon.”
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Living in...
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
