WANA (Jan 23) – The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has once again underscored the need to resume the Agency’s “full and accurate” monitoring activities in Iran, describing them as essential for reaching a definitive assessment of the status of highly enriched nuclear material in the country.

 

In an interview with the Emirati newspaper The National, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi referred to U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June, stating that the attacks caused significant damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and fundamentally altered conditions compared to the period prior to the conflict.

 

At the same time, Grossi noted that Iran’s stockpiles of highly enriched uranium remain in place, adding that “this part of the equation has not changed.” However, he emphasized that until IAEA inspectors return, the Agency cannot provide firm assurances that these nuclear materials have remained unchanged.

 

Grossi explained that while certain methods exist to observe developments, only comprehensive, regular, and precise monitoring would allow the Agency to draw reliable and conclusive judgments. He described the current situation as “generally unstable” and stressed that Iran’s nuclear file can only be resolved within a diplomatic framework.

 

These remarks come amid recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump, who claimed during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos that Washington was compelled to strike Iran because, according to him, the country was just two months away from acquiring a nuclear weapon. According to The National, Trump’s claim contradicts assessments by the IAEA as well as by the U.S. intelligence community regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

WANA - Arak nuclear facility after U.S. strike

Arak nuclear facility after the U.S. strike. Social media/ WANA News Agency

Nevertheless, Grossi acknowledged that the continued accumulation of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels constitutes a “legitimate cause for concern.”

 

In response, Tehran has reiterated that the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is Iran’s lawful right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), stressing that domestic nuclear capabilities and indigenous technology cannot be eliminated through military strikes. Iranian officials have repeatedly emphasized that the production or use of nuclear weapons has no place in the country’s defense doctrine.

 

Against this backdrop, Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, responded to Grossi’s recent comments on the need to inspect bombed nuclear facilities, stating that Iran had formally requested the IAEA to clarify its position regarding the attacks on nuclear sites. He added that new and clearly defined inspection guidelines must be developed, particularly given the environmental risks posed by military strikes.

 

Eslami noted that Iran had previously proposed, during the IAEA General Conference, an initiative calling for a prohibition on attacks against nuclear facilities—an initiative that was not taken up for consideration. He stressed that the IAEA must first clarify its stance and explain how access arrangements are intended to function.

 

He further stated that inspections have so far been limited to undamaged facilities and confirmed that IAEA inspectors are not currently present in Iran.