UN nuclear chief warns 'time is running out' for Iran-US deal amid massive military buildup
Warning comes as the US military continues a major reinforcement in the Middle East, including the deployment of two aircraft carriers and stealth fighter jets
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi has warned that "we don't have much time" to reach an agreement between Iran and the United States, despite noting a "step forward" in Omani-mediated talks in Geneva.
Grossi, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has told French television that while a dialogue is beginning to take shape, the negotiations remain enormously complex.
"There is the possibility of a dialogue that is really beginning, for the first time, to take shape," Grossi said.
"We are starting to talk about concrete things."
Tehran has continued to suspend some cooperation with the IAEA, preventing inspectors from accessing sites targeted by Israeli and American strikes during the 12-day conflict last June.
A massive US military buildup
Simultaneously, a massive US military buildup in the Middle East has set the stage for a potential campaign should President Donald Trump give the order.
Washington currently has 13 warships in the region, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
The world’s largest carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is currently en route to join the fleet, accompanied by three destroyers.
It is rare for two US carriers to operate in the Middle East simultaneously, a configuration last seen during the strikes on Iranian nuclear sites last year.
The White House has continued to apply pressure, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stating that Iran would be "very wise" to make a deal.
She noted that while there has been "a little bit of progress," there are still "many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran."
Open-source intelligence has also tracked a large fleet of US aircraft, including F-22 Raptor stealth fighters and KC-135 refuelling tankers, operating across the region to sustain potential operations.
Trump originally ordered the military surge in response to Tehran’s crackdown on protests in January.
Although he pulled back from ordering strikes last month after Tehran halted several hundred executions, the President has since renewed his threats, insisting on a total replacement for the 2018 nuclear deal.