In his latest remarks, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, called on Iran to seriously improve its cooperation with IAEA inspectors to prevent escalating tensions with the West.
Publish dateWednesday 5 November 2025 - 14:25
Story Code : 334933
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): Rafael Grossi said in an interview with the Financial Times that the agency has conducted about a dozen inspections in Iran since the Iran-Israel conflict in June, but inspectors have not yet been allowed access to nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, which were bombed by the United States.
Grossi also said in October that there had been movement near Iran's enriched uranium reserves, but that "this does not mean that there is enrichment activity."
In response to these statements, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stressed that Grossi is “fully aware of the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program” and should not express “baseless comments” about it.
Over the decades, Iran has cooperated with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to resolve the ambiguities surrounding its nuclear program. However, the agency has not only failed to condemn the attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, but, according to Iranian officials, “paved the way for the Zionist regime’s attacks” with its delay and silence.
Some Iranian officials have also accused Grossi of cooperating with Israel and providing information related to Iran’s nuclear program to the regime.
Grossi added in his interview with the Financial Times that despite the severe damage to the facilities, the fate of “408 kilograms of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium” is still unknown, which has created a “growing sense of urgency” to resume inspections.
He stressed that inspectors should have resumed inspections of bombed facilities long ago. He also said that the agency now monitors bombed sites only through satellite images.
Regarding referring Iran’s case to the UN Security Council, Grossi said that there was no need for this action at this time, but stressed that “cooperation must be seriously improved.”
Earlier in July, Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly suspended cooperation with the agency and banned the presence of agency inspectors in Iran following US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. According to the law, any change in the type of cooperation with the agency must be made under the supervision of the Supreme National Security Council.
Some time later, Iran allowed some inspections after Grossi’s initial agreement with Tehran in September. But that same month, European countries agreed to activate the automatic sanctions snapback mechanism at the UN, regardless of Iran’s cooperation with the agency.
Iranian officials have accused the agency of providing a pretext for the Israeli bombings, which began a day after the agency’s board of directors voted that Iran was in breach of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Grossi told the Financial Times that while the agency was trying to navigate its “fluctuating” relationship with Iran with mutual understanding, the country still had to live up to its obligations.
Referring to Iran’s membership of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), he stressed to Iran: “You can’t say, ‘I’m still in the NPT’ and not live up to your obligations.”
Grossi added, addressing Iranian officials without mentioning the agency's inaction in response to the attacks on Iran, nor without considering Iran's previous cooperation, "You can't expect the agency to say, 'Okay, because there was a war, you're in a different category'... Otherwise, I would have to report that I have completely lost control of these materials."
Grossi also said in October that there had been movement near Iran's enriched uranium reserves, but that "this does not mean that there is enrichment activity."
In response to these statements, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stressed that Grossi is “fully aware of the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program” and should not express “baseless comments” about it.
Over the decades, Iran has cooperated with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to resolve the ambiguities surrounding its nuclear program. However, the agency has not only failed to condemn the attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, but, according to Iranian officials, “paved the way for the Zionist regime’s attacks” with its delay and silence.
Some Iranian officials have also accused Grossi of cooperating with Israel and providing information related to Iran’s nuclear program to the regime.
Grossi added in his interview with the Financial Times that despite the severe damage to the facilities, the fate of “408 kilograms of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium” is still unknown, which has created a “growing sense of urgency” to resume inspections.
He stressed that inspectors should have resumed inspections of bombed facilities long ago. He also said that the agency now monitors bombed sites only through satellite images.
Regarding referring Iran’s case to the UN Security Council, Grossi said that there was no need for this action at this time, but stressed that “cooperation must be seriously improved.”
Earlier in July, Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly suspended cooperation with the agency and banned the presence of agency inspectors in Iran following US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. According to the law, any change in the type of cooperation with the agency must be made under the supervision of the Supreme National Security Council.
Some time later, Iran allowed some inspections after Grossi’s initial agreement with Tehran in September. But that same month, European countries agreed to activate the automatic sanctions snapback mechanism at the UN, regardless of Iran’s cooperation with the agency.
Iranian officials have accused the agency of providing a pretext for the Israeli bombings, which began a day after the agency’s board of directors voted that Iran was in breach of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Grossi told the Financial Times that while the agency was trying to navigate its “fluctuating” relationship with Iran with mutual understanding, the country still had to live up to its obligations.
Referring to Iran’s membership of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), he stressed to Iran: “You can’t say, ‘I’m still in the NPT’ and not live up to your obligations.”
Grossi added, addressing Iranian officials without mentioning the agency's inaction in response to the attacks on Iran, nor without considering Iran's previous cooperation, "You can't expect the agency to say, 'Okay, because there was a war, you're in a different category'... Otherwise, I would have to report that I have completely lost control of these materials."
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