Iran bans UN atomic energy director from its nuclear locations
(MENAFN) Iran has officially barred the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from inspecting its nuclear facilities, accusing the UN watchdog of misrepresenting facts and enabling recent military strikes by Israel and the US.
Vice Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Hamid Reza Haji Babaei, announced on Saturday that IAEA inspectors — including Director General Rafael Grossi — would no longer be permitted to enter Iranian nuclear sites. Additionally, Iran plans to shut off the agency’s surveillance cameras at these locations, according to local outlet Mehr.
The move follows the approval of new legislation by Iran's Guardian Council, which calls for suspending cooperation with the IAEA until international guarantees are provided to protect Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. The bill still awaits final ratification.
On June 13, Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Iran, claiming its targets were linked to a covert nuclear weapons program. The US joined the campaign days later, striking key sites in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow. A ceasefire between Iran and Israel was announced shortly after.
Iran maintains its nuclear efforts are for peaceful purposes only. However, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei criticized the IAEA on X (formerly Twitter), accusing it of issuing a politically motivated report and providing Israel with sensitive information that was later used to justify the attacks.
The report in question noted that Iran remains the only non-nuclear-armed nation producing uranium enriched to 60%. The IAEA’s board subsequently found Iran in violation of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in two decades, with 19 of 35 member states — including the US, UK, France, and Germany — supporting the resolution.
In response to criticism, Rafael Grossi stated on CNN that the IAEA’s findings could not justify military strikes and reiterated that the agency had no evidence of an active nuclear weapons program in Iran.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed European nations pushed Grossi to use deliberately vague and negative language in the report. Reuters also reported, weeks before the strikes, that diplomats had made similar allegations anonymously.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
