IAEA chief defends neutrality of Iran report amid Tehran’s criticism

Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has defended the neutrality of the agency’s latest report on Iran, emphasising that its findings are based solely on verified data.

In an interview with Al Arabiya on June 1, Grossi stated that the IAEA’s assessment of Iran’s nuclear activities is impartial, Caliber.Az reports.

“The IAEA’s report on Iran was based on verified information,” he said, addressing recent criticisms from Tehran.

His comments came a day after a confidential IAEA report, dated May 31, revealed that Iran has significantly accelerated its production of highly enriched uranium. The report disclosed that Iran had enriched uranium up to 60 per cent purity—just below the 90 per cent level typically required for nuclear weapons.

According to the IAEA, Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to this level had reached 408.6 kilograms as of May 17, marking an increase of 133.8 kilograms in three months. This is a steeper rise compared to the 92-kilogram increase reported in the previous quarter.

The agency raised concerns over the development, stating: “This significant increase in production by Iran—the only non-nuclear-armed state producing such nuclear material—and its storage of highly enriched uranium raise major concerns.”

In addition, the report noted that Iran’s total enriched uranium stockpile now stands at 9,247.6 kilograms—over 45 times the limit set under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers.

Responding to the report, Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, lashed out at Grossi in a televised interview on June 1. Eslami accused the IAEA chief of politicising the agency’s findings to serve personal ambitions, including what he alleged was Grossi’s desire to become the next UN Secretary-General.

He also noted that Grossi seeks to win favour with certain countries by catering to their demands, adding that the IAEA's leadership has adopted a politically motivated approach, reflected in what he described as a “political tone” in the agency’s reports.

The IAEA’s confidential report is expected to be a key point of discussion during the agency’s upcoming Board of Governors meeting in Vienna in the coming days.

By Sabina Mammadli