Vienna-based IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi believes the United States and Iran will sit down for talks in Islamabad this weekend, and this time the discussions will go much wider than just nuclear issues.
In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on Wednesday, Grossi said the agenda is expected to include Iran’s missile programme, Tehran’s allied militias in the region, and security guarantees for Iran. “This time, there will also be missiles, militias allied with the Islamic Republic, and security guarantees for Iran on the table,” he told the paper.
Pakistani sources told Türkiye’s Anadolu Agency that a breakthrough could come within the next 48 hours. According to these sources, Iran is pushing hard for strong security guarantees and wants compensation for the damage caused during the ongoing conflict.
Hope for a diplomatic way out
Grossi said a temporary solution might still be possible, but it must come through talks, not military action. He suggested a practical approach: stop enrichment for now because the current political and military situation does not allow it, and then review the whole issue again in five or ten years.
The conflict has already turned very deadly. Since February 28, US and Israeli air strikes on Iran have killed more than 1,340 people, including the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In response, Tehran has fired drones and missiles at Israel as well as at Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries that host American bases. These attacks have caused deaths, damaged buildings and seriously disrupted air travel and global markets.
Right now, all eyes are on Pakistan. If the talks do take place in Islamabad this weekend, it will mark an important moment in trying to bring this dangerous confrontation under control through diplomacy instead of more fighting.
