Speaking at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, Grossi said Iran has significantly accelerated its uranium enrichment activities since 2018 when the United States unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal and reinstated sanctions on the country.

Efforts to revive the JCPOA began in April 2021 in Vienna, primarily focusing on the U.S. rejoining the deal and lifting sanctions on Iran. However, Grossi asserted that the JCPOA in its original form is inadequate to address the current situation, underscoring the need for a new agreement.

The IAEA chief has called for diplomacy between Iran and the administration of new U.S. President Donald Trump, who, during his first term, pulled the US out of the JCPOA as part of his “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran.

“One can gather from the first statements from President Trump and others in the new administration that there is a disposition, so to speak, to have a conversation and perhaps move into some form of an agreement,” Grossi said in Davos.

Grossi, however, acknowledged that key stakeholders at the negotiating table continue to disagree on several critical issues.