Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), warned that Iran must “seriously improve” its cooperation with UN inspectors to prevent escalating tensions with the West.
In an interview published by the Financial Times on Wednesday, November 5, Grossi said that since the outbreak of the Iran–Israel war in June, the agency has conducted about 12 inspections in Iran but has not been granted access to key nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — all of which were bombed during U.S. airstrikes.
Conflict And Disputes Over the Agreement with Rafael Grossi in Iran Regime’s Parliament
According to Grossi, although the strikes caused serious damage to the facilities, the fate of 408 kilograms of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade remains unknown, creating a growing sense of urgency to resume inspections.
He added: “We should have already resumed the inspection work.”
The IAEA Director General said that while the agency strives to handle its strained relations with Iran with understanding and restraint, Tehran must still honor its obligations.
He added: “You cannot say, ‘I remain within the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty,’ and then not comply with obligations.”
Grossi also told the Al Arabiya network on October 31 that the Iranian regime has restricted its cooperation with the IAEA following the U.S. attacks.
A day earlier, Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s regime Foreign Ministry, told Al Jazeera that Grossi is well aware of the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program and should refrain from making “baseless comments” about Tehran’s nuclear activities.
Baghaei’s remarks came in response to Grossi’s earlier comments about movements around the regime’s nuclear sites and the IAEA’s limited presence in Iran.
In a confidential report dated May 31, the IAEA stated that Iran had previously conducted undeclared nuclear activities at three sites that have long been under investigation.
Warning Over Loss of Monitoring
In another part of his interview with the Financial Times, Grossi stressed:
“You cannot expect the IAEA to say, ‘OK, since there was a war you are in a different category’. Otherwise what I will have to do is report that I have lost all visibility of this material.”
“You cannot expect the IAEA to say, ‘OK, since there was a war, you are in a different category.’ Otherwise, what I will have to do is report that I have lost all visibility of this material.”
According to him, the agency is now relying on satellite imagery to monitor the bombed nuclear facilities in Iran.
He added that there is not yet a need to refer Iran’s case to the UN Security Council over inspection disruptions, but cooperation must be “seriously improved.”
After the 12-day war, Tehran announced the suspension of its cooperation with the agency, and regime officials harshly criticized both Grossi and the IAEA.
Diplomats and analysts fear that if concerns about Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile are not resolved and no progress is made in negotiations between Washington and Tehran to end the nuclear deadlock, Israel may carry out new strikes against the Iranian regime.
Meanwhile, Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s regime foreign minister, said in an interview with Al Jazeera—aired in full on November 3—that the regime’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium is “buried under rubble.” He reiterated that Tehran will not negotiate with the Donald Trump administration over “zero enrichment” or “missile capabilities.”
He stated that the Iranian regime is fully prepared for “fair negotiations from an equal position and based on the win-win principle and mutual interests.”
At present, the issue hinges on full access for inspectors, clarification of the fate of the 408 kilograms of enriched uranium, and political will to resume dialogue.
Progress in these three areas could help ease tensions, but continued ambiguity may once again raise the risk of conflict or new attacks.
