Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Tuesday that President Donald Trump must return to the table and reach “an understanding” with Iran on its nuclear program.
“There was an agreement that existed before President Trump decided that it was not the path he wanted to follow,” Grossi said, referring to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran and other countries, when he spoke at the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “Now we need to come to terms with how we deal with this, excluding, of course, a war. We don’t want more wars.”
Grossi added that he hoped to meet with the Trump administration “very, very soon,” because “this is something that needs to be put back on track.”
“We are engaging with Russia, China, and the European countries, but it’s clear to everyone that the U.S. is indispensable,” Grossi said. “What we need is to find an understanding. This is going to be our mission in the next few weeks.”
Iran, according to IAEA, now has an increasing stockpile of 60%-enriched uranium, which is not far off from the 90% required to build a nuclear weapon. The JCPOA mandated that Iran could only enrich uranium up to 3.67%, in exchange for lifted sanctions on the country.
Trump pulled out of the deal in 2018, but alluded to being “open” to returning to talks on Iran’s nuclear program when he was campaigning for a second term.