TEHRAN – Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has expressed his willingness to reinitiate discussions with Iran’s new government to address lingering concerns over the country’s nuclear program.

Speaking at the opening session of the IAEA Board of Governors' quarterly meeting in Vienna on Monday, Grossi underscored the need for productive dialogue to achieve concrete progress on unresolved safeguards issues.

The IAEA Board of Governors commenced its session on September 9, with the meetings set to continue through September 13. 

Grossi used the platform to provide an update on Iran’s nuclear activities, referring to his latest report on the verification and monitoring of Iran’s nuclear commitments under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231. The resolution, passed in 2015, endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.

Addressing the ongoing situation, Grossi pointed out that Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 20% and 60% purity continues to grow. He also noted an expansion in the number of centrifuges Iran is using to enrich uranium hexafluoride (UF6), a key component in the enrichment process. 

The IAEA chief went on to discuss what he described as the "lack of progress" in resolving outstanding safeguards issues. While Tehran maintains that it has declared all relevant nuclear materials and activities, Grossi reiterated the IAEA’s position that the presence of uranium particles at undeclared locations suggests otherwise.

In anticipation of further engagement, Grossi revealed that following Iran’s recent elections, he had corresponded with President Masoud Pezeshkian to express his willingness to visit Tehran and resume dialogue. 

According to Grossi, President Pezeshkian agreed to a future meeting "at an appropriate time" to re-launch cooperation between the IAEA and Iran.

“I encourage Iran to facilitate such a meeting in the near future so that we can establish a constructive dialogue that leads swiftly to real results,” Grossi added, signaling hope for a renewed effort to resolve the longstanding nuclear impasse. 

The IAEA chief emphasized that resolving these outstanding safeguards issues is critical to ensuring that Iran’s nuclear program remains peaceful.