The Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, stressed that there is no hope for resolving the outstanding issues between Iran and the United Nations agency, at a time when Tehran insists on closing investigations conducted by the agency to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement. The EU draft to revive the nuclear deal was not constructive.
"These issues have no hope of solving," Grossi told reporters at the United Nations on Wednesday, adding that he would like to meet with the Iranians in a few days.
"The International Atomic Energy Agency has limited access to Iran's nuclear facilities. We are ready to re-engage with Iran," he added.
After months of indirect talks between Tehran and Washington, it seemed that the nuclear agreement was about to return to life last March, but negotiations collapsed due to several issues, including Tehran's insistence that the Atomic Energy Agency close its investigations into uranium traces found in 3 sites. Not announced before the revival of the nuclear agreement.
The Iranian request raises fears of harming the chances of saving the agreement, because Washington and its European allies refuse to link the agreement with the closure of the investigation.
The nuclear deal collapsed after former US President Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.
In response, Iran violated the restrictions imposed under the agreement and expanded its nuclear program.
In the same context, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said that Iran's response to the European Union's draft to revive the nuclear agreement was not constructive.
Price added - in an interview with Al Jazeera - that Washington believes that mutual compliance with the nuclear agreement is still possible, noting that it will continue to consult with its European partners, and take measures in response to what Tehran is doing in the region, as he put it.