Iran's top diplomat holds another meeting with IAEA chief in New York

Iran retains the capacity to advance its nuclear weapons program despite US and Israeli airstrikes this year, and could enrich uranium to weapons grade within weeks, UK-based newspaper The Times reported on Tuesday citing the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog.

Below are excerpts from Trump's speech:

"I've made containing these threats a top priority, starting with the nation of Iran. My position is very simple: the world's number one sponsor of terror can never be allowed to possess the most dangerous weapon."

"That's why, shortly after taking office, I sent the so-called Supreme Leader a letter making a generous offer. I extended a pledge of full cooperation in exchange for a suspension of Iran's nuclear program."

"The regime's answer was to continue their constant threats to their neighbors and US interests throughout the region and some great countries nearby."

"Today, many of Iran's former military commanders—in fact, I can say almost all of them—are no longer with us; they're dead. Three months ago, in Operation Midnight Hammer, seven American B-2 bombers dropped 14 30,000-pound bombs on Iran's key nuclear facility, totally obliterating everything."

"No other country on earth could have done what we did. No other country has the equipment to do what we did. We have the greatest weapons on earth. We hate to use them, but we did something that for 22 years people wanted to do."

"With Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity demolished, I immediately brokered an end to the 12-day war, as it's called, between Israel and Iran, with both sides agreeing to fight no longer."

Republican Senator Tom Cotton said on Tuesday that a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a direct threat to the United States, voicing support for President Donald Trump’s remarks at the UN General Assembly.

“Today President Trump made clear what peace through strength means. A nuclear Iran directly threatens the security of our homeland and we must ensure that they never obtain a nuclear weapon,” Cotton said.

Earlier, Trump told the UN General Assembly: “My position is very simple: The world’s number one sponsor of terror cannot be allowed to possess the most dangerous weapon.”

Iran has yet to meet the conditions set by France, Britain and Germany to avert the reimposition of UN sanctions, Reuters reported citing a French diplomatic source after their ministers met with their Iranian counterpart on Tuesday.

“For the time being, Iran has not met the conditions, but discussions will continue to explore all possibilities to the fullest,” Reuters quoted the source as saying.

“We remain mobilised until the last moment. The ball is in Iran’s court,” the source added, saying that if there was no progress by the end of September 27, UN sanctions would be reimposed.

The chief of the UN nuclear watchdog said on Tuesday that Iran's ties to the body must continue despite a European move to trigger international sanctions and that rejecting inspections would only increase Tehran's woes.

"Our relationship with Iran is permanent (and) must continue," Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in an interview with the BBC outside the UN headquarters.

"Iran has very clear commitments and obligations ... those are permanent, as I said, and they go beyond the issue of the snapback."

"If they were to start saying no to inspections, then there will be a bigger, a new problem, and we don't want, I don't think we need, a bigger problem in Iran.

Grossi added that Washington was keen, despite President Trump having said the Iranian nuclear program was "obliterated" by US attacks in June, to mend Iran-IAEA ties.

"There are some exchanges, I must say that Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is very active on those I, for one, I am in constant contact with him," he said.

"I know that in spite of all these difficulties that are very clear for everyone to see, and the actions in June are proof of that, there's still a will here in the United States to have an agreement that would, you know, put this relationship back to normalcy."