Rafael Grossi named one of world’s 100 most influential figures by 'Time' magazine

Argentina’s highest-ranking global diplomat Rafael Mariano Grossi has been named by Time magazine on its annual list of the world’s 100 most influential people.

The recognition reflects Grossi’s work as director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and places him among key figures shaping the global agenda at a time of increasing geopolitical strain.

The distinction focuses in particular on the seasoned diplomat’s role during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, when nuclear power plants became a flashpoint in the conflict amid repeated shelling. 

Grossi helped mediate at key moments, working to ease tensions as concerns grew over the safety of facilities in active war zones.

“One measure of a diplomat is whether, even when world governance falls out of favour, states still open their doors to you,” reads the Time profile, written by the publication’s editor-at-large Karl Vick.

“After Russian troops overran the Zaporizhzhia atomic plant in Ukraine, both sides cleared the way for an inspection team headed by Rafael Mariano Grossi, chief of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to assess the damage and help keep the core cooled. Iran was about to show IAEA inspectors a new facility in June 2025 when Israel attacked – a day after the agency’s board declared Tehran was violating the nuclear non-proliferation treaty,” it continues.

The profile describes the Argentine as a leading candidate to become UN secretary-general and includes a warning from Grossi on the state of global governance. “If you look at Gaza, South Sudan, the Caucasus, India and Pakistan, Cambodia – the common denominator is the absence of the United Nations. This cannot continue,” he says.

The article also highlights tensions around Iran’s nuclear programme, noting Grossi’s role in “assessing the state of Iran’s nuclear programme in the wake of the massive US and Israeli attack,” a reference to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Founded in 1923, Time first published its ‘Time 100’ list in 1999. The annual line-up includes world leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists, artists, sportspeople, philanthropists and thinkers, among others.

 

‘Restraint’

Earlier this week, Grossi called for "restraint" in the Middle East war after Israel struck two Iranian nuclear facilities, including a uranium processing plant.

The IAEA warned that attacks near Iran's Bushehr atomic power plant "pose a very real danger to nuclear safety and must stop” in a statement.

The facility, located in the south of Iran and equipped with a 1,000-megawatt reactor, has been targeted four times since the US-Israeli war on Iran began. 

Strikes near the operating plant "could cause a severe radiological accident with harmful consequences for people and the environment in Iran and beyond," said Grossi in a post on X.

Russia, whose specialists help operate the plant, said the strikes risked a "radiological disaster more devastating than Chernobyl.” 

"We once again urgently call for an immediate cessation of hostilities," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The IAEA analysed satellite imagery of the site, confirming the impact of the latest strike, which did not damage the power plant. Grossi added that one strike hit just 75 metres (246 feet) from the plant perimeter. 

"A nuclear facility and surrounding areas should never be struck," said the candidate for UN secretary-general.

 

Race to be UN chief

As well as Grossi, three other candidates have formally announced their entry into the race to replace Guterres, starting January 1, 2027: Rebeca Grynspan, former vice-president of Costa Rica; Michaelle Bachelet, former president of Chile; and Macky Sall, former president of Senegal. 

Candidates are scheduled to be interviewed by member states later this month, with hearings beginning on April 21.

Following a tradition of geographical rotation that is not always observed, the position of UN secretary-general is being sought this time by Latin America. Some states are also urging that a woman hold the post for the first time.

The 15 members of the Security Council – particularly the five veto-wielding permanent members (United States, China, Russia, United Kingdom, France) – play a critical role in the selection process, which will begin by the end of July.

It is only on the council's recommendation that the General Assembly, which comprises all UN member states, can elect a secretary-general for a five-year term, which is renewable once. 

Grossi, born in Buenos Aires in 1961, studied political science at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina and later completed a master’s degree in international relations at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.

He began his diplomatic career in 1983, going on to hold senior roles within Argentina’s Foreign Ministry and postings abroad, including as ambassador to Austria and representative to the United Nations.

Between 2010 and 2013, he served as deputy director general of the IAEA. He also chaired the 2020 Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
He took office as the IAEA’s director-general in December 2019. 

Grossi’s candidacy for the UN secretary-general post has been heralded by the CARI foreign policy think tank. He was formally nominated for the role by President Javier Milei’s government in November 2025.

 

North Korea warning

Looking east to Asia, North Korea is showing a "very serious increase" in its ability to produce atomic weapons, Grossi said during a visit to Seoul midweek.

Diplomatically isolated North Korea is believed to operate multiple facilities for enriching uranium, a key step in making nuclear warheads, South Korea's spy agency has said.

That includes one at the Yongbyon nuclear site, which Pyongyang purportedly decommissioned after talks but later reactivated in 2021.

"In our periodic assessments, we have been able to confirm that there's a rapid increase in the operations" of the Yongbyon reactor, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Grossi said in Seoul, where he met South Korea's foreign minister.

The agency also observed a rise in operations at Yongbyon's reprocessing unit and light-water reactor, as well as the activation of other facilities, Grossi told reporters.

"All that points to a very serious increase in the capabilities of [the] DPRK in the area of nuclear weapons production, which is estimated at a few dozen warheads," he said, referring to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.

North Korea, which conducted its first nuclear test in 2006, is under rafts of UN sanctions for its banned weapons programmes. It has declared that it will never surrender its nuclear weapons, and cut off access to IAEA inspectors in 2009.

The agency has noted the construction of a "new facility similar to the enrichment facility in Yongbyon," Grossi said. It was "not easy to calculate" any production increases without visiting the site. 

However, "we consider, looking at external features of the facility, that there will be a significant increase in the enrichment capacity of the DPRK," he concluded.

 

– TIMES/NA/AFP