Iran declines IAEA chief’s visit request post US, Israel attacks

Iran on Monday, June 30, denied a visit request made by the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect nuclear sites in the country. The denial of the request follows the attack on the country’s nuclear sites by Israel and the US last month.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Aragchi, gave a lengthy explanation for denying permission to IAEA director general Rafael Grossi. “Grossi’s insistence on visiting the bombed sites under the pretext of safeguards is meaningless and possibly even malign in intent,” Araghchi said in a post on X.

The Iranian foreign minister further said that his country reserves the right to take any steps in defence of its interests, its people and its sovereignty. Aligning with the stance, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that Tehran had halted cooperation with the IAEA due to what he called Grossi’s “destructive” behaviour towards Iran.

“The action taken by parliament members … is a natural response to the unjustified, unconstructive, and destructive conduct of the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency,” Pezeshkian told Macron on a phone call, according to a presidency statement.

According to Al Jazeera, Iran has taken the stance that the IAEA is an international body with defined responsibilities, and these responsibilities are not political but technical. The Iranian government further said that the IAEA is under immense political pressure from the US and Israel.

Since the conflict with Israel began, Iran has been critical of the IAEA not just for backing Israel but also for passing a resolution accusing Tehran of non-compliance with its nuclear obligations, the day before Israel’s attacks.