In his latest remarks, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, called on Iran to seriously improve its cooperation with IAEA inspectors to prevent escalating tensions with the West.
Rafael Grossi said in an interview with the Financial Times that the agency has conducted about a dozen inspections in Iran since the Iran-Israel conflict in June, but inspectors have not yet been allowed access to nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, which were bombed by the United States.
Grossi also said in October that there had been movement near Iran's enriched uranium reserves, but that "this does not mean that there is enrichment activity."
In response to these statements, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stressed that Grossi is “fully aware of the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program” and should not express “baseless comments” about it.
Over the decades, Iran has cooperated with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to resolve the ambiguities surrounding its nuclear program. However, the agency has not only failed to condemn the attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, but, according to Iranian officials, “paved the way for the Zionist regime’s attacks” with its delay and silence.
Some Iranian officials have also accused Grossi of cooperating with Israel and providing information related to Iran’s nuclear program to the regime.
Grossi added in his interview with the Financial Times that despite the severe damage to the facilities, the fate of “408 kilograms of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium” is still unknown, which has created a “growing sense of urgency” to resume inspections.
He stressed that inspectors should have resumed inspections of bombed facilities long ago. He also said that the agency now monitors bombed sites only through satellite images.
Regarding referring Iran’s case to the UN Security Council, Grossi said that there was no need for this action at this time, but stressed that “cooperation must be seriously improved.”
Earlier in July, Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly suspended cooperation with the agency and banned the presence of agency inspectors in Iran following US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. According to the law, any change in the type of cooperation with the agency must be made under the supervision of the Supreme National Security Council.
