Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of the Iranian regime, criticized the positions of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding the need to inspect nuclear sites bombed in Iran and described Rafael Grossi as “part of the enemy.”
On Wednesday, December 24, Eslami reacted to Grossi’s recent remarks about the IAEA’s lack of access to the Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan sites and said: “If there is a protocol for [inspecting] attacked facilities, he should announce it. Such a thing is not provisioned in the safeguards.”
Iran’s Regime Is Clearing One of Its Nuclear Facilities, Study Shows
He added that the method of the Agency’s inspections of sites that were targeted during the twelve-day war “must be defined.”
In recent days, speculation has intensified about the fate of the Iranian regime’s nuclear program and the possible reactions of the United States, Israel, and the European troika (France, Germany, and the United Kingdom).
On December 23, a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to review the Iranian regime’s nuclear file ended with another confrontation between the representative of the U.S. government and the ambassador of Iran’s regime. In response to remarks by Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s regime ambassador to the UN, Morgan Ortagus stressed that uranium enrichment is not acceptable inside Iran under any circumstances.
On December 22, Grossi said in an interview with Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency that the International Atomic Energy Agency believes most of the Iranian regime’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains inside Iran.
He had also said on December 15 that the Agency’s activities in Iran are very limited and that its inspectors must have access to the key nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
In recent months, and especially after the twelve-day war, a number of officials of the Iranian regime have sharply criticized Grossi; some have called him a “Mossad agent,” and the state-run Kayhan newspaper, which operates under the supervision of a representative of regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei, even called for his execution on charges of “espionage” for Israel.
On December 13, Grossi described threats by Iranian regime officials against him as “very damaging” and said that unfortunately he remains under security protection, because experts in this field consider these threats to be real and credible.
Eslami: If the facilities have been destroyed, what is the inspection for?
The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of the Iranian regime, continuing to repeat the regime’s previous positions, emphasized blocking the Agency’s inspections at the current stage.
Eslami said: “What kind of visit do they want to make to facilities that, by their own claim, have been destroyed?”
Grossi: Bulk of Iran’s Highly Enriched Uranium Stockpiles Remain Inside Country
Donald Trump, the president of the United States, has repeatedly stated that following U.S. attacks on the Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan sites during the twelve-day war, the Iranian regime’s nuclear program has been destroyed.
However, some observers believe that although these attacks caused serious damage, they did not eliminate Tehran’s nuclear program.
On December 18, the Institute for Science and International Security reported, based on satellite imagery, that the Iranian regime is attempting to conceal the remnants of the Natanz site from observers.
In recent days, some reports have indicated the possibility of another Israeli attack on Iran.
NBC News reported on December 20 that Israeli officials believe the Iranian regime is expanding its ballistic missile program and that, as a result, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will present options to the U.S. president in his upcoming meeting for Washington to join Israel in a potential attack on Iran.
On December 21, during a visit to Israel, Lindsey Graham, a prominent Republican senator, said that if it becomes clear that the Iranian regime is resuming nuclear enrichment and increasing the production of ballistic missiles to threaten Israel and even Europe, Iran must be attacked before these actions materialize.
