Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the diplomatic effort “is not at its best point,” but it wasn’t his place to declare whether the process was “dead or alive.’’ However, he said progress is not impossible, according to AP.
“I hope to be able to re-set, restore, reinforce that indispensable dialogue,” he said during a discussion at the Chatham House think tank. “Without that, things are going to get worse.’’
Iran began rebuilding its nuclear stockpile after former U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned a 2015 agreement that limited the Islamic Republic’s atomic energy program. Talks on restoring the deal ended in August when western countries presented the “final text” of a roadmap for progress, which Iran has yet to accept.