President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami speaks during a news conference after unveiling domestically-developed nuclear medicines in an exhibition of the country's nuclear achievements, in Tehran, Iran, Dec 12, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

TEHRAN - Iran's nuclear chief said on Wednesday coordination between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was "progressing".

President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami made the remarks in an address to reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting in the Iranian capital Tehran, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.

He expressed hope that the "same progressing trend" would continue between Iran and the agency, so that "the (poisoned) atmosphere created by the enemies against the Iranian nuclear industry could be broken, preventing further disruption by them (in the country's nuclear program)".

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According to Eslami, a deputy of IAEA's Director General Rafael Grossi, whose name was not mentioned, was in Tehran and met with him and AEOI spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi last week.

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said the West, by imposing sanctions, failed to prevent Tehran from working toward its objectives, and the US "maximum pressure" on the country had ended in "abject failure"

Meanwhile, Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday stressed that his country would never leave the negotiation table and is insistent on its right to develop nuclear technology for "peaceful" purposes. 

Raisi noted that Iran had always been ready for the verification of the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities, adding that Iranian people have an "inalienable" right to use peaceful nuclear energy in areas including medicine, industry, and agriculture.

The Iranian president said the IAEA had 15 times in its reports confirmed that there had been "no deviation" in Iran's nuclear activities.

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He said the West, by imposing sanctions, failed to prevent Tehran from working toward its objectives, and the US "maximum pressure" on the country had ended in "abject failure".

A handout picture made available by the Iranian presidential office on Feb 2, 2024, shows Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during his speech in the city of Minab, southern Iran. (PHOTO / IRANIAN PRESIDENCY VIA AFP)

Iran says its nuclear activities are entirely peaceful and mainly aimed at power generation and production of radiopharmaceuticals.

The country signed a nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. The United States, however, pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed its unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments under the deal.

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The talks on the revival of the JCPOA began in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria. Despite several rounds of talks, no significant breakthrough has been achieved since the end of the last round in August 2022.