The Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, that Iran needs to “seriously improve” its cooperation with UN inspectors to avoid escalating tensions with the West.
Grossi told the FT that the IAEA has carried out about a dozen inspections in Iran since the war Israel imposed in June, but has not been allowed access to nuclear facilities such as Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, which were bombed by the US.
Grossi claimed in October that movement was detected near Iran’s enriched uranium storage facility, but that it “does not indicate that there is any enrichment activity.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai later said Grossi was “fully aware of the peaceful nature” of Iran’s nuclear program and should not express “unfounded opinions” about it.
Iranian officials have accused the agency of justifying the bombing of Israel, which began a day after the IAEA board voted to find Iran in violation of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Grossi told the FT that authorities were trying to approach the “rocky” relationship with Iran with understanding, but that Iran still needed to comply.
On June 13, Israel launched a blatant and unprovoked invasion of Iran, sparking a 12-day war that left at least 1,064 people dead in the country, including military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians.
The United States also entered the war by bombing three Iranian nuclear facilities in a serious violation of international law.
In response, Iranian forces targeted strategic locations throughout the occupied territories, as well as Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military base in West Asia.
On June 24, Iran successfully thwarted the invasion through successful retaliatory operations against both the Israeli regime and the United States.
MNA/