UN nuclear chief reports constructive talks with Iran

The UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Saturday he had "constructive" meetings with Iranian officials that could pave the way for the revival of a landmark 2015 agreement.

"By having a constructive discussion, like we are having now, and having good agreements, like I am sure we are going to have, we are going to be paving the way for important agreements," Grossi said in a news conference in Tehran alongside Mohammad Eslami, director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.

Grossi's two-day visit came amid deadlock in negotiations on reviving the 2015 deal with world powers that promised Iran a relief from crippling economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear activities.

The restrictions in the accord -- known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA -- were intended to prevent Iran developing a nuclear weapons capability, an ambition it has always denied.

Eslami called for other signatories to fulfil their "obligations".

"Three European and some other countries are just focusing on Iran's JCPOA obligations," he told the news conference. "They too have obligations that they need to adhere to."

"We came to an arrangement (with Grossi) to define our cooperation within the framework of the safeguards."

The United States unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, prompting Iran to suspend the implementation of its own commitments under the accord.