Overview
- Rafael Grossi, the IAEA chief, defended his candidacy in a public dialogue on Tuesday, taking three hours of questions and arguing the UN faces a crisis of legitimacy.
- He called for a field‑driven Secretariat that engages directly in conflicts and said war guts resources needed for development, drawing on his work in Ukraine and with Iran.
- Grossi said Iran does not have a nuclear bomb but holds about 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent that could be raised to weapons‑grade quickly, a risk he framed as technical and urgent.
- Argentina has formally backed Grossi, and reporting notes he has cultivated ties with permanent Security Council members, a key step because any one of the five can veto the Council’s recommendation.
- The contest features Michelle Bachelet, Rebeca Grynspan and Macky Sall, with Chile opening an administrative probe into possible diplomatic support for Bachelet, as the process moves next to closed Security Council deliberations expected in the coming months before General Assembly approval later in 2026.