International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi attends the opening of the IAEA General Conference at their headquarters in Vienna, Austria, September 26, 2022 (REUTERS Photo)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director Rafael Grossi and Iranian nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami have met for talks in Vienna.
"Dialogue has restarted with #Iran on clarification of outstanding safeguards issues," Grossi tweeted Monday evening.
He said he met Eslami at the IAEA's general conference in the Austrian capital Vienna.
A week and a half ago, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said he would not be ready for a nuclear deal with the West until the dispute over an IAEA investigation was resolved. The IAEA wanted access to three locations at which Iran has been accused of not being able to explain radioactive traces.
Grossi has said he does not believe the country's nuclear programme is purely civilian in nature, which Iran vehemently denies.
Last week, Raisi defended his national nuclear programme before the UN General Assembly and said his country was pursuing only peaceful intentions.
He also criticized the U.S. for leaving the Iran nuclear deal during Donald Trump's presidency. The U.S., Russia, China, France and Britain are negotiating with Iran to restore the 2015 nuclear agreement, which aims to prevent the country from building a nuclear bomb.
It has been on hold since the U.S. withdrew in 2018. The goal of the ongoing talks is to lift U.S. sanctions on Iran and reinstate restrictions on Tehran's nuclear programme.
The most recent developments have signalled that talks are deadlocked once again.
