Eslami Accuses IAEA Chief of Serving Iran’s Adversaries

By Staff, Agencies

The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami, has sharply criticized International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, accusing him of acting as an “obedient agent” of Iran’s adversaries by providing them with sensitive information about the country’s nuclear programme.

Speaking to Russia Today (RT) on Thursday, Eslami said Grossi had effectively become an agent of Iran’s enemies, arguing that the disclosure of information obtained through the agency’s monitoring activities amounted to an abuse of the authority entrusted to international institutions.

He warned that such conduct undermines the credibility of international organizations and exposes serious weaknesses in the international legal framework governing nuclear non-proliferation, including the UN Charter and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

Eslami’s remarks come amid renewed US threats to strike Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. He specifically pointed to repeated statements by US President Donald Trump threatening the Pickaxe Mountain (Kuh-e Kolang) facility, describing Washington’s continued threats against Iranian nuclear sites as a sign of growing desperation.

Trump told Newsmax on October 16 that Washington was considering striking the facility. He renewed the threat on November 1, telling reporters that the United States still had “one or two sites” to deal with, including Pickaxe Mountain, and claiming that they could be struck “in 10 minutes”.

Tensions over the IAEA’s conduct have intensified scrutiny of Grossi’s role. On June 12, 2025, the agency’s Board of Governors adopted a resolution against Iran, one day before “Israel” launched attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.

The timing of the resolution, alongside Tehran’s concerns that information collected through the agency’s monitoring activities could be exploited by its adversaries, has further deepened Iran’s distrust of the IAEA leadership.

Grossi’s public statements have also become part of the controversy. In a CNN interview on June 19, 2025, he acknowledged that the agency had “no proof of a systematic effort” by Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.

Separately, Iran’s diplomatic mission in Vienna has criticized what it described as Grossi’s selective expressions of concern over Iran’s nuclear activities, particularly his remarks about the country’s uranium stockpile.

Tehran has repeatedly accused Western governments and the IAEA leadership of applying double standards by scrutinizing its nuclear programme while failing to adequately address threats against its nuclear facilities.

Eslami also stressed that any decision concerning Iran’s continued membership in the NPT must be treated as a major strategic issue and remain within the country’s sovereign authority.