Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held discussions with Egyptian officials in Cairo on June 2 about Iran's nuclear programme, as international concerns mount over Tehran's uranium enrichment activities.

Iran and the US are getting closer than ever to an agreement over the Iranian nuclear development programme in recent days, with Washington previously stating that no new sanctions would be placed on Tehran. This positive signal from the White House comes as Tehran continues to wind down the rhetoric towards the US, specifically. 

Araghchi met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty to discuss the nuclear issue alongside bilateral relations and regional matters, according to statements from both sides.

The talks occurred following the release of a confidential International Atomic Energy Agency report warning that Iran has significantly expanded its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The IAEA document, obtained by news agencies, stated that Iran had amassed 408.6 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity as of May 17, representing a nearly 50% increase since February.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the Vienna-based IAEA, travelled to Cairo as part of efforts to address growing international alarm over Iran's nuclear activities. The agency described Iran as "the only non-nuclear-weapon state to produce such material," expressing "serious concern" about the development.

Speaking at a joint press conference, Araghchi said Iran would reject any proposals that contradict Iranian national rights. "If the goal of the negotiations is to make sure that Iran does not seek to acquire a nuclear weapon, we can reach an agreement on that," he stated. "But if there are unacceptable and unrealistic goals aimed at depriving Iran of peaceful nuclear activities, then there will certainly be no agreement."

Iran is currently engaged in indirect talks with the United States through Omani mediation, with five rounds of discussions already completed in Muscat and Rome. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi recently visited Tehran to present the latest US proposal for a potential nuclear agreement.

Iranian officials have criticised the timing and content of the IAEA report, with Atomic Energy Organisation head Mohammad Eslami suggesting it reflects political motivations rather than technical assessments.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Abdelatty affirmed Cairo's support for diplomatic solutions, stating that "the Iranian issue should be resolved through political solutions, not military solutions." He confirmed recent discussions with US senior negotiator Steve Witkoff about pursuing peaceful resolution mechanisms.

Araghchi said Iran maintains full confidence in the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme and expressed readiness to demonstrate this to international partners.