UN nuclear body chief heads to Iran for talks

Diplomats upbeat on prospects for a deal as IAEA report is likely to show compliance

The global nuclear watchdog yesterday said its boss would fly to Tehran to discuss some of the last big issues that need to be resolved so that Iran and world powers can reach a breakthrough final nuclear deal by a new deadline of next week.

Iran and six world powers gave themselves an extra week on Tuesday to reach an accord that would curb Tehran’s nuclear programme in exchange for relief from economic sanctions.

Despite the lapsed deadline, diplomats have given upbeat assessments of the prospects for a deal.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held one-on-one talks yesterday. Zarif said the talks were making progress and would continue to do so.

In a positive sign for the talks, Western diplomats said an IAEA report due out later in the day would show that Iran had complied with a preliminary deal to reduce its low-enriched uranium stockpile. An IAEA report in May said the stockpile had increased above the required level, but the diplomats said Tehran had met a June 30 deadline to reduce it.

US Secretary of State John Kerry with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Vienna yesterday. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Yukiya Amano will discuss in Tehran today the monitoring of sensitive nuclear sites as major powers and Iran seek a breakthrough in forging a lasting nuclear agreement. Iran and world powers gave themselves an extra week on Tuesday to reach an accord curbing Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief, but US President Barack Obama warned there would be no deal if all pathways to an Iranian nuclear weapon were not cut off.