Iran lashes out at IAEA over missing uranium questions

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi accused the International Atomic Energy Agency of using the consequences of US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites to create “ambiguity” about Tehran’s nuclear program.

Writing on X after a recent IAEA report and media remarks by agency chief Rafael Grossi, Gharibabadi said comments about lack of access to some damaged facilities, the status of Iran’s uranium stockpile and what the agency calls a loss of “continuity of knowledge” did not emerge “in a vacuum.”

He argued that safeguarded nuclear facilities had been hit in US and Israeli military attacks and criticized Grossi for not condemning those strikes.

Gharibabadi also rejected the agency’s focus on Iran’s 60% enriched uranium and possible weapons-related scenarios, saying the Non-Proliferation Treaty does not set a numerical cap on enrichment levels and that the legal test is whether nuclear material is diverted to military purposes.

Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, though the IAEA has repeatedly sought fuller access and answers on Tehran’s uranium stockpile and monitoring gaps.

Gharibabadi said the agency could not report the consequences of military attacks, ignore those responsible and then ask Iran to bear the technical and political cost of the insecurity created.

“If the agency wants to be part of a diplomatic solution, it must avoid turning technical reports into tools of political pressure,” he wrote.