Argentina nominates Rafael Grossi as UN secretary-general

Argentina’s foreign ministry formally nominated Argentine Rafael Grossi, the current head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as the new United Nations secretary-general in 2027.  António Guterres, who heads the UN since 2017, is set to end his term at the end of next year. Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno wrote in an X post that it was “an honor and a privilege” to nominate Grossi to fill the vacancy, which was formally opened by the UN on Tuesday. Quirno said that Grossi’s work as general director of the IAEA for the past 6 years “demonstrates his great leadership skills in the face of serious situations that affect international peace and security.” As head of the IAEA Grossi had played a key role mediating in some of the biggest international conflicts of the past years, including the war in Ukraine and the tensions between the United States, Israel and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program. “These are essential tools to carry out the role of secretary-general in the current international scenario,” Quirno wrote. Es un honor y un privilegio presentar hoy la candidatura de Rafael Grossi (@rafaelmgrossi) al cargo de Secretario General de las Naciones Unidas.Rafael Grossi es reconocido internacionalmente por la extraordinaria tarea que viene desempeñando como Director General del…— Pablo Quirno (@pabloquirno) November 26, 2025 In a statement formally announcing their endorsement, the foreign ministry said Grossi’s main achievements leading the IAEA were to “contribute to peace and international security” with “clear results.” The message highlighted “his deep knowledge of the multilateral system, his ability to promote diplomatic dialogue” and “his proven performance in situations of conflict and serious international crisis as an impartial and effective speaker.” Paraguayan President Santiago Peña backed Grossi’s nomination on Thursday in an X post, saying he trusts him to “revitalize” the UN.  Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also expressed his support last week during an interview with ANSA news agency, highlighting Grossi’s Argentine-Italian citizenship. Who is Rafael Grossi Grossi, a career diplomat and expert in international relations, became the first Latin American head of the IAEA in December 2019.  The organization, which is part of the UN, focuses on promoting a peaceful and secure use of nuclear energy, monitoring its use and intervening during nuclear conflicts. Previously, Grossi worked in several international organizations dealing with nuclear issues, including at the IAEA itself. He was also Argentine ambassador to Austria between 2013 and 2019, and acted as the country’s representative before Slovenia, Slovakia and International Organizations based in Vienna. Recently, Grossi’s work at the IAEA was marked by the conflict surrounding Iran’s nuclear program, which the organization monitors, as well as the war in Ukraine, where nuclear plant Zaporizhzhia was taken over by Russia in 2022. After Israel and the US bombed Iranian nuclear plants in June — which led to Iran attacking Israel in retaliation — Grossi was directly threatened by the Iranian government for the IAEA’s critic reports on the Iranian nuclear program. Grossi had also expressed public concerns about finding traces of uranium at three Iranian nuclear sites. “Once the war is over, we will deal with him,” said Ali Larijani, a top advisor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a social media post.