WANA (Nov 16) – Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), stressed during remarks at a panel of the international conference “International Law Under Assault: Aggression and Defense” that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) must recognize that Iran is operating under “entirely new circumstances,” and that its monitoring framework must be redefined based on the wartime conditions imposed on the country’s nuclear facilities.

 

Eslami noted that the recent military attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran’s nuclear sites marked the first time in history that facilities under IAEA safeguards were targeted while agency inspectors were present in the country. “With the attack on Iran, the credibility of the Agency was undermined,” he said, adding that the IAEA must reassess its role in light of such developments.

 

Recalling that Iran fully complied with its JCPOA commitments—as confirmed, he said, by the Agency’s own reports—Eslami argued that the U.S. withdrawal from the agreement and the failure of the other parties to meet their obligations reignited tensions. He also accused certain states of exploiting the Agency’s capabilities for political purposes, noting that Iran’s proposal at the recent IAEA General Conference in Vienna—calling for a ban on military strikes against safeguarded nuclear facilities—was strongly opposed by the United States.

 

Eslami highlighted the disproportionate level of inspections Iran undergoes, stating: “While only three percent of the world’s nuclear capacity is in Iran, about 25 percent of all IAEA inspections and 80 percent of safeguard-related costs are directed at Iran.” He added that no other country has experienced direct military attacks on its safeguarded facilities, making it essential for the Agency to establish a new modality for wartime conditions.

 

He further emphasized the importance of protecting sensitive information held by the IAEA, warning that continued political interference in the Agency’s work would erode the foundations of international law. Eslami also declared that the mandate of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, and the IAEA’s related oversight responsibilities, has effectively ended with the conclusion of the JCPOA’s tenth year, adding that Iran’s relationship with the Agency now rests solely within the framework of standard safeguards.

 

Given the ongoing security threats, Eslami reiterated that “as long as a modality tailored to wartime conditions is not established, political pressure and media noise will lead nowhere.” Despite recent attacks, he noted that Iran has continued producing radiopharmaceuticals and radioisotopes, benefiting nearly two million patients annually within the country, with exports to various nations also ongoing.

The international conference “International Law Under Assault: Aggression and Self-Defense” was inaugurated with the presence of Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, at the Center for Political and International Studies of the Foreign Ministry.

The international conference “International Law Under Assault: Aggression and Self-Defense” was inaugurated with the presence of Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, at the Center for Political and International Studies of the Foreign Ministry. Social media/ WANA News Agency