BÜRGENSTOCK (Dispatches) – Iran has no intention of holding negotiations with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi during talks with the United States in Switzerland, a source close to the Iranian delegation said on Sunday, rejecting an American proposal to include the UN nuclear chief in the discussions.
The source told Tasnim news agency that Grossi’s presence in Switzerland “does not mean that he will be present in negotiations with Iran”. The Americans had requested Grossi’s participation in the talks, but Iran rejected the idea.
The Iranian delegation’s objective is limited to implementing Article 13 of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, with particular emphasis on Article 1—which requires the “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”—as well as securing the release of Iranian assets and the lifting of oil sanctions.
Iran’s nuclear program will not be discussed during the current round of talks, Fars news agency reported, citing a source in the Iranian negotiating team. None of the members of Iran’s nuclear committee are part of the delegation attending the talks, the source said.
Discussions on Tehran’s nuclear file would only be considered if implementation of clauses 1, 4, 10 and 11 of the memorandum begins, the source added.
Grossi, who arrived in Switzerland ahead of the talks, met with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis at the Bürgenstock resort to “take stock of recent developments regarding Iran, the path ahead and the important role of the IAEA”. “At this critical moment, it’s important to give diplomacy every opportunity to succeed,” Grossi said on social media.
However, the IAEA chief’s presence at the venue does not signal his involvement in the negotiations with Tehran, the Iranian source emphasized.
The US and Iranian delegations began talks on Sunday at the Bürgenstock mountain resort to implement the 14-point memorandum signed on June 18. U.S. Vice President JD Vance is leading the American team, while Iran’s delegation is headed by Parliament Speaker Muhammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Pakistani and Qatari mediators are participating in the discussions.
Vance said there had been “great progress over the last few hours” and that the talks are “the beginning of a technical negotiation,” not intended to settle all differences between the parties.
Iranian officials have insisted that the nuclear issue is not on the agenda for this round of talks. A source close to the Iranian team told Tasnim that the delegation’s focus remains on ensuring U.S. compliance with the Lebanon ceasefire and the lifting of sanctions.