IAEA Lacks Clear Guidelines for Inspecting Iran’s Attacked Nuclear Sites, Tehran Says
WANA (Jan 23) – The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has not yet provided clear guidelines for inspecting Iranian nuclear facilities that were targeted by military attacks, according to Iranian officials—a gap that has now become a focal point of renewed tensions between Tehran and the UN nuclear watchdog.
Mohammad Eslami, Iran’s Vice President and head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said that the IAEA must first clarify its official position regarding the military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities during what he described as a 12-day conflict. Speaking on the sidelines of the Sixth International Exhibition on Laser, Photonics, and Quantum Technologies, Eslami confirmed that Iran has formally written to Grossi requesting a clear stance from the agency.
Eslami stressed that inspections of sites that have come under military attack cannot proceed in the absence of defined technical and safety protocols. “When a nuclear facility is attacked, the issue is not merely access,” he said. “Environmental and safety risks arise, and these must be addressed through clearly defined inspection guidelines.”
He added that Iran had previously proposed, during the IAEA General Conference, that attacks on nuclear facilities should be explicitly prohibited, but the proposal was not taken up for review. According to Eslami, before any discussion of access can move forward, the IAEA director general must clarify how inspections would be conducted and under what legal and technical framework.
Responding to questions about the current status of inspections, Eslami said that IAEA inspections had only been carried out at facilities that were not damaged, adding that IAEA inspectors are not currently present in Iran.
His remarks came in response to comments made earlier this week by Rafael Grossi, who told Reuters that the stalemate over Iran’s high-enriched uranium stockpiles and the agency’s inability to inspect bombed nuclear sites could not continue indefinitely. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Grossi said the IAEA had inspected all 13 of Iran’s declared nuclear facilities that were not targeted, but had so far been unable to access the key sites of Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan, which he said were bombed in June. He warned that prolonging the situation could leave the agency without a clear picture of the whereabouts of nuclear materials.
Grossi Calls for Immediate Engagement with Iran
WANA (Jan 21) – Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), warned on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos that the continuation of the current situation between Iran and the Agency over access to damaged nuclear facilities and stockpiles of highly enriched uranium is unsustainable and could carry […]
Elsewhere in his remarks, Eslami said none of Iran’s nuclear activities have been halted and that programs are continuing in line with planned objectives. He highlighted laser, photonics, optics, and quantum technologies as strategic fields for both current and future development, noting their wide-ranging industrial and societal applications.
Eslami also pointed to ongoing cooperation between Iran and Russia, describing it as being “in its best condition.” He said construction of the second and third units of the Bushehr nuclear power plant is progressing on schedule, with roughly half of the reactor building for Unit Two now completed, and Iranian companies playing a role in the project. He added that a bilateral cooperation document on small modular reactors is expected to be exchanged within the next month.
In the medical sector, Eslami said Iran is expanding the use of nuclear technology in healthcare. The number of operational PET scan machines in the country has increased from seven in 2021 to 25, with further growth planned. He also announced the upcoming launch of a new phase of Iran’s national cancer program and the development of multiple regional hubs for the production of radiopharmaceuticals.
Taken together, Iranian officials argue that without a clear legal and technical position from the IAEA on military attacks against nuclear facilities, disputes over inspections and access are likely to remain unresolved.
