IAEA Director General Says U.S. and Iran to Reach Nuclear Deal Soon

JAKARTA - Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said Iran and the United States were close to reaching an agreement on nuclear issues.

"As is known, we are not parties involved in this process, but we maintain separate communication with each party. We assess that they (Iran and the US) will soon agree on the nuclear issue," Grossi said, quoting Antara.

He said other issues in the agreement were not within the authority of the IAEA, but the agreement was technically feasible. Grossi also admitted that he had previously discussed the issue with representatives from Russia, China, and Iran.

"Basically, I think the meeting was to confirm the basic approach they would take on this matter, and in particular they considered it necessary for me to acknowledge that it would be very difficult for Iran to fulfill its obligations in the current circumstances. I also reiterated my points, and that's what happened," said Grossi.

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on a number of targets in Iran, including Tehran, resulting in damage to infrastructure and civilian casualties.

Iran then launched a retaliatory attack against Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East.

On April 7, Washington and Tehran announced a ceasefire to facilitate peace talks. However, the ongoing negotiations in Islamabad have not managed to achieve any breakthrough regarding a peace deal.