PARIS, November 12. /TASS/. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said it was necessary to find ways of a diplomatic settlement of the situation around Iran's nuclear program ahead of his visit to Tehran.

"Iranian authorities must understand that the international environment is becoming increasingly tense, that room for maneuver is shrinking, and that a diplomatic solution must be found," Grossi told AFP.

He acknowledged that the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear program, which the US later abandoned, had become an "empty shell." Commenting on Donald Trump’s election to the US presidency, Grossi noted that he had managed to work well with Trump’s team during his first term, even though it was under Trump that Washington withdrew from the nuclear deal.

"The agency operates in Iran and conducts inspections, but I have always said that we need greater transparency. We need to be able to see more. Given the scope, depth, and ambition of Iran’s program, we must find ways to provide the agency with enhanced surveillance capabilities," the IAEA chief said.

The JCPOA was signed in 2015 by Iran and a group of international intermediaries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, China, Russia, the United States, and France. The signing of this agreement marked the end of a crisis that began in 2004, when Western countries accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons and imposed sanctions. In 2018, President Donald Trump decided to withdraw the United States from the agreement.

The New York Times reported citing Iranian officials that the country's authorities believe that a new agreement with the United States on the nuclear program would be stronger and more durable in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory, if concluded. Earlier, Islamic Republic President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons and was ready to fully return to its commitments under the JCPOA.