Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Tuesday (24 September) that he expects Iran to re-engage with the nuclear agency after a recent talk with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

On the sidelines of the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York, Grossi spoke with Araqchi, who was one of the architects behind the 2015 accord that limited Iran’s ability to enrich uranium in exchange for the West lifting sanctions on the country.

Grossi told Reuters that Iranian officials “expressed willingness to re-engage with the IAEA in a more meaningful fashion” after a long-standing conflict between the country and the agency.

The two entities have had a rocky relationship, mainly due to Tehran placing a ban on enrichment experts from the IAEA’s inspection team and failing to explain uranium traces found at undeclared sites, as reported by Reuters.

Grossi said he wanted to make significant and fast progress in nuclear discussions with Iran, highlighting that the two entities must provide “content and substance” to the talks and that the agency still needs clarity on the country’s activities.

“I think we need to, or the ambition should be, to get results in a different way, because the old way is simply not going to be possible anymore,” he said.

Despite tension with the nuclear watchdog, Iran has continued to advance its nuclear programme.

In February, Iran began the construction of four new nuclear reactors near the cities of Minab and Sirik, expected to generate a combined output of 5GW.

“Iran has kept a regular pace without accelerating too much, but it continues,” Grossi said to Reuters, explaining that the country has not yet brought online the cascades at Fordow after completing installation.

Iran has increased its nuclear initiatives since 2019 after the Trump administration scrapped a nuclear agreement established by the Obama administration.