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Efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal are at a “critical stage” and Tehran’s reasons for avoiding talks are running out, a US official said Monday, raising the possibility of further diplomacy even if the agreement cannot be resurrected.

US special envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, told reporters that Washington is increasingly concerned that Tehran continues to delay the return to talks, but said it has other tools to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and that he would use them if necessary.

“We are at a critical stage in the efforts to see if we can revive the JCPOA,” Malley said, referring to the agreement formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. “We have had a break of many months and the official reasons given by Iran why we are in this break are very few.”

While stating that the window for both the United States and Iran to resume compliance with the agreement would eventually close, Malley stressed that the United States would still be willing to engage in diplomacy with Iran.

He also hinted at the economic benefits that could come from Iran’s return to the deal, under which Tehran has taken steps to limit its nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions by the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations.