In a CBS interview over the weekend, CIA Director William Burns offered an assessment which, coming from US officials, would be a huge admission and potentially of much consequence. Burns reported Iran is “not resuming” its nuclear weapons program, which it ended decades ago, and has made no decisions on even attempting to.

The US has long been vague on whether or not Iran is really trying to make arms. Iran says they aren’t, and has ruled out ever doing so on religious grounds. Analysts have also been concluding for years that Iran is not actively trying to make atomic weapons.

Having the US spy chief make such a public admission should portend a policy shift back toward diplomacy with Iran. It may also lead to a backlash from nations like Israel and Saudi Arabia who want spurious allegations against Iran to continue being treated as impediments to such diplomacy.