Grossi Warns the Islamic Republic; Non-cooperation with the Agency Will Have Consequences

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday, September 18, warned about the consequences of the Islamic Republic's non-cooperation with the Agency and urged Iranian officials to reconsider their decision to deny access to senior UN inspectors. The IAEA announced on Saturday that the Islamic Republic had revoked the credentials of several nuclear inspectors. Concurrently, the Islamic Republic stated that this action was in retaliation for 'political abuses' by the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. According to a report by AFP, Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the IAEA, stated in an interview that 'we urge the Islamic Republic to reconsider this decision; if they do not cooperate with the Agency, they will not achieve the guarantees and confirmations of the international community.' France, Germany, the UK, and the US issued a joint statement on Monday calling the Islamic Republic's actions another step in the wrong direction. The joint statement noted that Rafael Grossi emphasized that Iran had suspended the activities of several experienced inspectors from the Agency, including some of its most knowledgeable experts in uranium enrichment technology. The statement described this action by Iran as an obstacle to the effective implementation of the Agency's safeguards mission, stating, 'As the Director General specifies in his statement, Iran's actions are another step in the wrong direction and will unnecessarily damage the already strained relations between the IAEA and Iran.' The European Union also expressed on September 17 that it was 'very concerned' about the Islamic Republic's decision to suspend the activities of 'several experienced inspectors' from the IAEA responsible for monitoring and verifying Tehran's nuclear program. Peter Stano, the spokesperson for the EU's foreign policy chief, wrote on the social media platform 'X': 'The EU urges the Islamic Republic to reconsider this decision without delay.' The UN nuclear watchdog also issued a statement on Saturday severely criticizing the Islamic Republic for 'preventing inspections' and 'verification' of its disputed nuclear program.