Iran Accuses IAEA of Credibility Crisis Over Nuclear Site Attacks

By Staff, Agencies

Iran says the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is facing a credibility crisis over its failure to respond to US and "Israeli" strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities operating under international safeguards.

Speaking before the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna on Tuesday, Iran’s delegation questioned how the agency could credibly address nuclear security while remaining silent over attacks on safeguarded peaceful nuclear facilities.

“What meaning can nuclear security have, if nothing is done against unlawful attacks to the safeguarded peaceful nuclear facilities?” the delegation asked, stressing that the facilities belonged to a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Iran also criticized the IAEA Board of Governors for failing to issue even a basic condemnation of the attacks, warning that such inaction could undermine confidence in the wider global nuclear non-proliferation system.

The Iranian delegation further raised concerns over the protection of sensitive nuclear information, describing confidentiality as an essential element of nuclear security.

It said previous breaches had resulted in the disclosure of sensitive information that was later exploited to facilitate sabotage against safeguarded nuclear facilities.

The IAEA has not had access to key Iranian nuclear facilities since June 2025, when "Israel", joined by the United States, launched a 12-day war that included strikes on nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

Following the attacks, Tehran rejected immediate access for IAEA inspectors to its nuclear facilities and damaged materials, saying such issues would only be addressed within the framework of a final agreement and after Washington takes practical steps to lift sanctions.

Iranian nuclear facilities were also targeted in the latest US-"Israeli" war, which began on February 28.

The IAEA has continued demanding access to the sites, while Tehran maintains that the agency must address the security and political consequences of the attacks before inspections can resume.