Dubai: The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, is scheduled to visit Iran next Wednesday, with consultations set to begin the following day, according to state media reports on Sunday. Grossi, who leads the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), had previously indicated that a visit to Iran was on the horizon to address ongoing concerns about the country’s nuclear program. He also expressed a desire to collaborate with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on the issue.

The IAEA and Western powers have long faced tensions with Iran over several nuclear-related matters. These include Iran’s refusal to allow uranium-enrichment experts on IAEA inspection teams and its failure to explain the presence of uranium traces at undeclared sites.

Since 2019, following former President Trump's withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and the re-imposition of stringent U.S. sanctions, Iran has significantly ramped up its nuclear activities. Tehran is now enriching uranium to levels as high as 60% purity, which is a significant step closer to the 90% purity needed for weapons-grade material. Experts believe Iran has accumulated enough highly-enriched uranium to potentially build up to four nuclear bombs, should it choose to further refine the material.

Despite these developments, Iran continues to insist that its nuclear ambitions are peaceful, focusing on uranium enrichment solely for civilian energy purposes.