State Department expects planned Iran meeting to proceed; warns expelling IAEA inspectors would be escalation

The U.S. Department of State said it expects a planned technical meeting with Iranian interlocutors to proceed on Saturday and described the session as a first step to determine whether Tehran is serious about diplomacy.

Tammy Bruce, the State Department spokesperson, declined to speculate about whether talks would be direct or mediated, saying the arrangements were being handled by officials and that outcomes of the initial meeting would determine next steps. “At this point, yes, that is still underway. It is happening and we look forward to it as a good first step to find out if the Iranians are serious,” Bruce said.

On separate reporting that Iran’s senior adviser threatened to expel International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors and move enriched uranium to secret locations, Bruce called such threats “an escalation and a miscalculation on Iran’s part,” and said the United States is “deeply concerned that Iran is amassing a growing stockpile of highly enriched uranium for which there is no credible peaceful purpose.”

Why it matters: The meeting could be an early test of whether direct or mediated talks are possible, and IAEA access and uranium stockpiles bear directly on nonproliferation concerns. The department did not provide details about the meeting’s format, who would be in which room, or the full roster of participants.

Ending: The department said senior diplomats, including a special envoy, are engaged in the discussions and that the administration will await results from the meeting before announcing next steps.