Iranian Foreign Minister and chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi is set to meet with the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, and Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Cairo on Monday, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry announced.
The high-level meeting comes amid escalating concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme, following a recent UN nuclear watchdog report that revealed Tehran has ramped up its production of uranium enriched up to 60% — edging closer to weapons-grade levels near 90%.
The IAEA report, which was leaked just days earlier, surfaces as Iran and the United States resume indirect negotiations over reviving the 2015 nuclear accord — formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The agreement, intended to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, was abandoned by the U.S. in 2018 under former President Donald Trump. Iran has consistently denied pursuing nuclear arms.
During his Cairo visit, Araghchi is also expected to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.
Speaking on Saturday, the Iranian foreign minister revealed that he had received elements of a new U.S. proposal through mediators in Oman, following five rounds of indirect talks.
He also held a phone conversation with IAEA chief Grossi on Sunday, during which he voiced concerns over potential European sanctions and urged the agency not to allow its reports to be used for political maneuvering.
The IAEA’s board of governors is scheduled to discuss Iran’s nuclear activities during its quarterly meeting in Vienna, which begins on June 9.
