WANA (Aug 27) – U.S. media have reported that Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has recently been placed under 24-hour protection by Austria’s special security forces.

 

According to The Wall Street Journal, the move came after intelligence services warned of a specific threat against him, allegedly linked to individuals connected with Iran. The responsibility for his security lies with the Cobra unit, an elite force tasked with protecting Austria’s highest-ranking officials.

 

Fredrik Dahl, spokesperson for the IAEA, stated: “We confirm that Austria has assigned a Cobra unit to protect us, but we cannot confirm the exact source of the threat.”

 

According to one of Grossi’s close associates, he has admitted that this level of protection has completely changed his daily life and that he is taking the security warnings very seriously.

WANA - Arak nuclear facility after U.S. strike

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

These developments come amid heightened tensions between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the IAEA chief. Following the recent 12-day war, Iranian officials accused Grossi of fueling international concerns—and even military conflict—by issuing biased reports on Tehran’s nuclear activities.

 

Iran has repeatedly dismissed the Agency’s reports as “baseless” and, in the wake of attacks on its nuclear facilities and scientists, has called for Grossi’s dismissal and prosecution. In June, Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, also lodged a formal complaint against Grossi’s approach in a letter to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council.

 

Grossi, who has headed the Agency since 2019, pledged from the outset to adopt a firm stance on Iran’s nuclear program. Last Tuesday, he announced that following recent talks, an initial team of IAEA inspectors had returned to Iran—though the team still has no access to nuclear sites.