TEHRAN- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said on Monday that “Iran does not possess nuclear weapons.”

“Iran does not have nuclear weapons. A distinction must be made between having nuclear weapons and being able to create them,” Grossi said at a meeting of the Swedish Institute of International Affairs.

Grossi went on to say that in 2015 Iran and world powers reached an agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), but the United States withdrew from it in 2018.

Grossi also noted that “the American move triggered Iran to abandon obligations over time. Although this agreement has not been declared dead, it has become an empty shell.”

The UN nuclear chief added that “Iran has the nuclear materials necessary for several nuclear weapons, but I must emphasize that Iran currently does not have any nuclear weapons.”

“We must distinguish between having nuclear weapons and having the ability to make them. This is a very important issue. It is important to get to a point where this program is stable and the diplomatic and system conditions are in place to ensure it,” Grossi remarked.