WANA (Feb 27) – The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has voiced concerns over the absence of communication between Iran and the United States.

 

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal journalist Laurence Norman on Wednesday night, Grossi welcomed U.S. President Trump’s willingness to reach a new agreement with Iran and acknowledged Tehran’s interest in such a deal, stating, “I know that Iran wants an agreement.”

 

Concerns Over Iran’s Nuclear Advancements

According to Norman’s report, published on his personal account on the social media platform X and in The Wall Street Journal, Grossi warned that Iran’s advancing nuclear program was exacerbating existing challenges rather than resolving them.

 

However, he did not mention U.S. President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy, which saw Washington withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal despite Iran’s continued compliance with its safeguards obligations.

 

Grossi also called for greater engagement between Washington and Tehran, again without addressing U.S. sanctions and unilateral measures against Iran. “The lack of movement towards negotiations is problematic. We must take steps toward action and dialogue,” he stated.

 

No Backchannel Between Iran and the U.S.

Addressing reports of indirect communication between Tehran and Washington via third parties, Grossi dismissed the existence of any such backchannel. “I have had serious discussions with others on this matter, and there is no backchannel between Iran and the United States,” he asserted.

 

Grossi further commented on the potential framework of a future agreement, responding to Norman’s question about whether new terms—including broader access for IAEA inspectors beyond the scope of the 2015 nuclear deal—would be included. “Different people have different conditions for a deal. The next agreement will be different, but I don’t know if it will be broader,” he said.

 

Upcoming IAEA Report and Possible Iran Visit

The IAEA chief also announced that the agency’s comprehensive report on Iran is expected to be published before June. He suggested that a visit to Iran ahead of the report’s release would be beneficial. “It’s a good idea to travel to Iran before the report is published. Our level of communication and dialogue with Tehran and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is very good,” he noted.