SAEDNEWS: Iran has issued a scathing rebuke of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its chief, Rafael Grossi, following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
According to Saed News, Iran’s political leadership and lawmakers have launched a blistering attack on Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), following a series of U.S. military strikes on key nuclear sites in Iran. In an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council, Grossi reiterated the agency’s readiness to expand its presence in Iran if permitted. However, Iranian officials see this stance as tone-deaf and provocative.
Grossi stated his willingness to visit Iran to "ensure the peaceful use of nuclear technology." Yet Iranian officials say such overtures fall flat after the IAEA’s perceived failure to prevent foreign aggression. Some Iranian commentators even suggest that the agency’s past inspections may have provided intelligence used in targeting the sites.
Grossi emphasized that inspectors should be allowed to return to verify Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium—particularly the 400 kilograms enriched up to 60% purity. But his comments have sparked outrage in Tehran, where he’s accused of serving Western interests while ignoring Iran’s security and sovereignty.
Iranian lawmakers argue the IAEA has lost its credibility. Rather than condemning the attack, they say, Grossi’s tone resembles that of a claimant rather than a neutral mediator. Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi voiced sharp criticism, questioning the IAEA’s role in safeguarding the interests of countries pursuing peaceful nuclear energy.
“When attacks on nuclear facilities are celebrated openly and global institutions like the IAEA fail to prevent or even condemn them,” Araghchi warned, “one must ask: What role does the NPT actually play?”
He further cautioned that the recent strike has shaken the foundations of the global non-proliferation regime, warning that its erosion could have profound consequences for international security.
In the Iranian parliament, momentum is building to take drastic measures. Esmail Kowsari, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, has reportedly proposed a permanent ban on Grossi’s entry into Iran. Similarly, spokesman Ebrahim Rezaei confirmed that the commission voiced severe criticism of Grossi, with some members advocating an outright withdrawal from the NPT.
With growing calls to sever ties with the IAEA and abandon the NPT, Iranian lawmakers are framing the decision as a defensive necessity. In their view, Iran has honored its commitments while international mechanisms have not only failed to protect it—but have been turned into instruments of harm.
