VIENNA, March 2. /TASS/. The parties to the conflict around Iran acknowledge the need for diplomacy as a means to settle it, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told a news conference.

However, he refused to comment on the US allegations that Iran was preparing to create nuclear weapons.

TASS has summed up his key statement.

Relations between the IAEA and Iran

The agency continues attempts to resume contacts with Iran’s nuclear regulators, but so far without success.

The IAEA is in touch with Iranian authorities, but technical channels for monitoring have been shut.

Currently, there are no IAEA inspectors in Iran.

The agency is capable of assessing the situation at Iranian nuclear facilities from imagery it receives.

Prospects for dialogue

The parties to the conflict around Iran understand the need for returning to diplomatic ways of resolving it. He said that the statements by both US President Donald Trump and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reveal understanding that dialogue will start at a certain point.

The IAEA is ready to act as a mediator in such a dialogue, but it is too early to say when and where it might be resumed.

US allegations

The IAEA doesn’t comment on the US allegations that Iran was on the verge of creating nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, the IAEA’s stance on this matter is clear: Iran possesses an ambitious nuclear program the agency has no access to. However, it sees no signs of a nuclear weapons production program.