Iran Accuses IAEA Of Politicizing Its Assessment Of Nuclear Program

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami (left) and the International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in Vienna on September 25, 2023
Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami (left) and the International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in Vienna on September 25, 2023

The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, accused the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of politicizing the regime's ongoing nuclear program.

In a meeting with Rafael Grossi, the Director-General of the IAEA, on the sidelines of the 67th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna on Monday, Eslami said, "These countries [in the West] are trying to use the agency's capacity to pressure Iran through political pressure and resorting to sanctions."

Eslami claimed that the regime would not yield to any political pressure, clear by its actions in recent weeks to ban one third of the organization's inspectors, in addition to flouting the regulations imposed under sanctions.

He claimed Tehran is ready to use its nuclear capabilities to "serve humanity in other parts of the world" in a bizarre twist, echoing President Ebrahim Raisi's odd claims this week from New York where he said Iran had no ambitions for nuclear weapons.

Grossi stated that in order to prove the peaceful nature of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, "credible assurances" need to be provided. He said that the cooperation between the agency and Iran should continue within the framework of the agreement reached between the two parties in March 2022 until tangible progress is achieved.

The statements came as Grossi, in his speech admitted that there has been no progress in implementing the activities outlined in the most recent joint statement he made with Iran in March 2023.

He emphasized that after years, important issues related to the Islamic Republic's compliance with its non-proliferation obligations remain unresolved.