‘Any US-Iran nuclear deal is an illusion without proper checks’

About this episode

The episode discusses the complexities of a potential US-Iran nuclear deal amidst ongoing tensions and the looming influence of past agreements.

Can the US and Iran strike a last-minute nuclear deal to end the war? With the two-week ceasefire deadline expiring on Wednesday, peace talks are tentatively set to go ahead in Pakistan between US Vice President JD Vance and an Iranian delegation led by Mohammad Ghalibaf. Donald Trump has threatened to resume bombing if negotiations fail, but a major stumbling block remains: Iran’s nuclear programme.  Washington wants Tehran to end all advanced uranium enrichment and give up its 450kg of “nuclear dust” that is currently buried under rubble. Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, tells foreign editor Louis Emanuel that without proper verification on the ground, any agreement will be an “illusion”.  Meanwhile, senior foreign correspondent Memphis Barker explains how the "ghost" of the previous Iran nuclear agreement - Barack Obama's 2015 JCPOA - looms large over everything. Can Trump strike a better deal now than the one he tore up in 2018? Plus, Roland Oliphant runs through the latest updates and news from across the region, including what is going on in the Strait of Hormuz and some clarity on when the ceasefire actually…

People in this episode

Host: Roland Oliphant

Guests: Rafael Grossi, Memphis Barker

Topics covered

• US-Iran relations
• nuclear negotiations
• Middle East peace talks
• international diplomacy
• nuclear non-proliferation

Keywords

• nuclear deal
• Iran
• US
• ceasefire
• uranium enrichment
• diplomacy
• Rafael Grossi
• Trump
• JCPOA

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, The Telegraph

Places: Pakistan, Strait of Hormuz

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