Grossi’s UN Bid: A Reward for Serving the West?
WANA (Nov 28) – As the process of selecting the next United Nations Secretary-General begins, the name of Rafael Grossi, the Argentinian director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has emerged among the contenders. For many Iranians, his name is synonymous with biased approaches, politicized reports, and silence in the face of U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.
Grossi’s potential elevation to the UN’s top position appears to be, in the eyes of his critics, a reward for the services he has rendered to the United States and Israel during his tenure at the IAEA. Available information also suggests that Grossi himself has actively sought this position.
Several UN member states have called for a woman to be chosen as the next Secretary-General. In an official letter, the United Nations expressed “regret that no woman has ever held this position” and urged member states to “seriously consider nominating female candidates.”
Among the names currently circulating are Michelle Bachelet, former president of Chile; Rafael Grossi, director-general of the IAEA; and Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, who currently heads the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
In a joint letter, Michael Imran Kanu, Sierra Leone’s representative and current president of the Security Council, and Annalena Baerbock, president of the UN General Assembly, stressed that the role of Secretary-General “is of critical importance and requires the highest standards of efficiency, competence, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to the principles of the UN Charter.”
According to long-standing UN custom, the position rotates geographically. By that logic, the next Secretary-General should come from Latin America—though this tradition has not always been strictly followed.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi meets with Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Tehran, Iran, May 6, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
Tehran’s View on Grossi and His Record
Iran maintains that Grossi—given what it sees as partial and hostile measures taken against the country—lacks the credibility and qualifications required for such a role.
Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, was sharply critical of Grossi in remarks made shortly after Israel’s attack on Iran. “As far as I know, the IAEA has never been in such a destructive and weakened state,” he said. “During ElBaradei’s era and even afterward, although the Agency was under Western influence, at least there was some degree of rationality and respect for international norms. But under the current management, it seems a blank check has been given to the United States and Iran’s enemies, turning the IAEA into an accessory to aggression.” Larijani added that with such a record, Grossi is “not even fit to lead the IAEA, let alone serve as UN Secretary-General.”
Before the 12-day war in June 2025, Grossi’s controversial and ambiguous reports were widely seen in Iran as providing the pretext and justification for military action against the country. During and after the conflict, the IAEA did not support Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, nor did it condemn U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists.
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WANA (Nov 26) – Last midnight, the region once again witnessed movements that many described as a “mutual testing” between Iran and Israel. Some Iraqi and Hebrew-language media outlets claimed that Israeli fighter jets briefly entered Iraqi airspace and flew near Iran’s borders. Reports even mentioned ‘simulated launch maneuvers’; an action that, if true, […]
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is among Grossi’s strongest critics. Having played a central role in the negotiations that produced the JCPOA, Araghchi is intimately familiar with Grossi’s approach. After the 12-day war, when Grossi requested access to several Iranian nuclear sites and Tehran refused, he told a Swiss newspaper: “If diplomacy fails, I fear force will be used again.” Araghchi responded: “Those who make such threats should know that repeating a failed experience will lead only to another failure.”
Given this context, it appears likely that countries such as Iran will oppose the candidacy of someone they view as biased and aligned with the West. Throughout his tenure, Grossi has demonstrated—more openly than any of his predecessors—that he is not a neutral technical official but a political actor serving Western interests.
While the UN formally emphasizes the need for a Secretary-General who is “qualified, effective, and impartial,” and while several member states are pushing to break the barrier and choose a female Secretary-General, finally, Grossi’s controversial record raises serious questions about the standards guiding this selection process.
Argentina has announced the nomination of Rafael Grossi, the current Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, for the position of United Nations Secretary-General. Speculation suggests that the election to choose the next UN Secretary-General will take place in the early months of 2026.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi looks on during a news conference with Head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization Mohammad Eslami as they meet in Tehran, Iran, March 4, 2023. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
MORE ABOUT RAFAEL GROSSI
Rafael Mariano Grossi is an Argentine diplomat who has served as the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) since December 2019.
In this role, he is the world’s chief nuclear watchdog. His work is critical in three main areas: Nuclear Non-Proliferation / Nuclear Safety / Promoting Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.
Grossi is known for being a highly visible and proactive diplomat, often traveling directly to global hotspots to conduct high-stakes negotiations.
IAEA Report and a Strategic Warning for Iran
WANA (Nov 18) – The recent report issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran’s nuclear program—released just ten days before the Board of Governors meeting—contains repeated allegations against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Yet the significance of the report lies in two key points: first, that these accusations pave the way for […]
