The Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said that reviving the Iranian nuclear deal during the era of US President-elect Joe Biden will require the conclusion of a new agreement that defines how Tehran will retreat from its violations of its provisions.

Grossi considered that what he described as Iranian violations of the nuclear agreement is too great to be reversed quickly, in his comment on Tehran's announcement that it can quickly backtrack on its violations if the US sanctions are lifted.

Grossi said - in statements to Reuters at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency - "They (Iran) will simply say we will return to the first square, but the first square no longer exists."

He added, "It is clear that we will necessarily need a protocol, agreement, understanding or attached document, which clearly defines what we will do."

"There is more nuclear material, there are more activities, and there are additional centrifuges and more are being announced, so what will happen with all that? This is the question they are asked at the level? Politician to make a decision about it. "

He explained that he sees things returning to what they were in December 2015, referring to the month before the actual implementation of the nuclear restrictions under the agreement, and which was followed by the removal of large quantities of nuclear materials and equipment.

Grossi saw things return to how they were in December 2015 (Reuters)

Growing anxiety

Iran has violated many of the agreement’s restrictions on its nuclear activities, in response to US President Donald Trump's withdrawal from it and his re-imposition of sanctions that were lifted under the agreement.

Iran's activities have raised growing concern among some of the other remaining parties to the agreement, including Russia, which urged Tehran to act responsibly, as well as France, Britain and Germany, which is trying hard to preserve the agreement.

For its part, the French Foreign Ministry expressed its deep concern about what it described as Iran's breaches of its obligations that came in the nuclear agreement.

In response to a question whether it believes that a new protocol is needed, the French Foreign Ministry confirmed that Iran's actions have become a serious problem.

"Its consequences are serious, especially in the field of enrichment. It raises doubts about the advantages of this agreement in terms of non-proliferation," said Francois Dilma, deputy spokesman for the ministry.

The French Foreign Ministry called on Tehran to immediately return to full respect for the agreement and to stop any step threatening its future.

Biden declares readiness to return to the nuclear deal (Getty Images)

Strict commitment

Biden had announced that his country would return to join the nuclear agreement "if Iran returned to comply with its provisions strictly."

As for Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, he expressed confidence that the steadfastness of the Iranians will push the next US administration to back down and return to the nuclear agreement.

Iran's stockpiles of enriched uranium are currently more than 2.4 tons, which is 12 times more than the limit allowed in the agreement, but much less than its stockpile before the agreement, which was 8 tons.

Iran is carrying out enrichment operations in sites that are not permitted under the agreement, such as the Fordo site in the bottom of the mountain, and it has also recently started enriching advanced centrifuges in the underground Natanz reactor, where the agreement says that only first-generation centrifuges are allowed to be used there.