U.S.–Russia–China Geopolitics

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has insisted that any U.S.-brokered deal to end the Iran war must include “very detailed” and enforceable inspections, pressing Tehran for immediate and full access to its nuclear sites to verify limits on enrichment and materials. Grossi warned that Iran’s restrictions on IAEA access are a major concern even while the agency has not found evidence of a structured weapons program; his intervention comes as diplomatic efforts — including stalled talks in Islamabad after Iran rejected U.S. demands to give up enrichment — seek to end the conflict that has already disrupted global energy flows and regional stability.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has publicly backed Iran’s “inalienable” right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes and rejected calls for Tehran to renounce enrichment entirely — a position framed as incompatible with the Nuclear Non‑Proliferation Treaty and offered in direct contrast to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s stated demand for zero enrichment. The comments came amid ongoing diplomatic contacts between Moscow and Tehran, including a reported call between Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi in which they discussed measures to protect civil nuclear infrastructure such as the Bushehr plant while pursuing a diplomatic solution.