Iran accuses IAEA chief of bias amid strikes on nuclear sites

By bellecarter // 2025-06-21

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Iran has squarely blamed Rafael Grossi, the director-general of the IAEA, for recent military strikes on its nuclear facilities, accusing him of issuing a biased report that was used by the U.S. and three European countries (E3) to condemn Iran for alleged non-compliance with non-proliferation obligations.
Grossi's report highlighted Iran's production of 60 percent enriched uranium, leading the IAEA board to declare Iran in breach of its non-proliferation duties for the first time in 20 years. The resolution, backed by 19 member states, cited Iran's failure to explain undeclared nuclear material and growing uranium stockpiles.
Iran vehemently rejected the resolution, dismissing it as "political" and announcing plans to construct a new enrichment site. Russian officials supported Iran, arguing that the resolution was biased and anti-Iranian, potentially paving the way for Israeli attacks.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei emphasized the human cost of the conflict, questioning Grossi's role and the appropriateness of his actions as a UN agency leader. Baqaei accused Grossi of betraying the non-proliferation regime and turning the IAEA into a tool for non-NPT members.
The crisis underscores deep mistrust and geopolitical tensions surrounding Iran's nuclear program. Despite U.S. intelligence agencies finding no evidence of Iran pursuing nuclear weapons, the situation remains complex, with different stakeholders interpreting the facts differently. The international community faces a critical challenge in balancing non-proliferation with diplomacy and peace.

Iran has squarely blamed Rafael Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for a recent series of military strikes on its nuclear facilities. On Thursday, June 19, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei took to the social media platform X to express Tehran's outrage. In a scathing post, Baqaei accused Grossi of issuing a "biased report" that was "instrumentalized" by the United States and three European countries – the E3 – to pass a resolution condemning Iran for alleged non-compliance with its non-proliferation obligations. Baqaei's post included a direct quote from Grossi: "We did not have any evidence of a systematic effort [by Iran] to move into a nuclear weapon." However, Baqaei argued that this admission came too late and that Grossi's earlier report had obscured this crucial fact. "You obscured this truth in your absolutely biased report," Baqaei wrote, suggesting that the report was used as a pretext for the attacks. Grossi's report, released earlier this month, highlighted Iran's production and accumulation of uranium enriched to 60 percent, making it the only non-nuclear-weapon state in the world to do so. This revelation prompted the IAEA's board to declare Iran in breach of its non-proliferation duties for the first time in 20 years. The resolution, backed by 19 of the 35 IAEA member states, including the U.S., U.K., France and Germany, cited Iran's failure to explain undeclared nuclear material and its growing uranium stockpiles. Iran vehemently rejected the resolution, dismissing it as "political" and announcing plans to construct a new enrichment site. Russian officials echoed Iran's sentiments, arguing that the "biased, anti-Iranian" resolution had paved the way for Israel's attacks against the Islamic Republic.

The human cost and calls for accountability

Baqaei emphasized the human cost of the conflict, asking Grossi, "Do you know how many innocent Iranians have been killed/maimed as a result of this criminal war?" He questioned whether such actions were appropriate for an international civil servant tasked with leading a UN agency. "Misleading narratives have dire consequences, Mr. Grossi, and demand accountability," Baqaei warned. The current crisis has deep historical roots. Iran's nuclear program has been a source of international concern for decades, with the country insisting that its activities are purely for peaceful purposes. However, suspicions of a covert weapons program have persisted, leading to multiple rounds of sanctions and diplomatic efforts. The IAEA has been at the center of these efforts, tasked with monitoring Iran's compliance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The recent resolution and subsequent attacks have further strained relations between Iran and the international community. U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, reiterated that U.S. intelligence agencies have not seen any evidence that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, a position that has remained unchanged since their last report in March. This statement underscores the complexity of the situation, with different stakeholders interpreting the same set of facts in vastly different ways. (Related: Iranian state TV warns of historic "surprise" as Trump reviews military strikes, threatens Supreme Leader.) The accusations leveled against Grossi by Iran highlight the deep mistrust and geopolitical tensions surrounding Iran's nuclear program. As the IAEA grapples with its role in this volatile landscape, the stakes could not be higher. The international community faces a critical challenge in balancing the need for non-proliferation with the imperative of diplomacy and peace. Watch the video below where Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Iran is not after nuclear weapons. This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

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The human cost and calls for accountability

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