TEHRAN – Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, has expressed strong criticism of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) following the agency's Director General Rafael Grossi's acknowledgment of Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons. 

Grossi said the “assumed presence of nuclear weapons looms in the background” in a statement expressing concern about escalating tensions between Iran and Israel. 

“The fact that the Director General of the agency has acknowledged the existence of nuclear weapons in the occupied territories for the first time is a significant issue,” the diplomat wrote on X before calling on Grossi to go beyond mere acknowledgment. “This admission places a heavy burden on him and the IAEA. Simply acknowledging it is not enough; he must condemn the existence of such weapons in the hands of this criminal regime and call for their destruction, as well as for this regime's accession to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).”

The Deputy Foreign Minister also condemned Grossi's comments regarding the potential for nuclear proliferation by Iran, labeling them as unprofessional and politically motivated. Gharibabadi argued that such statements reflect a bias akin to that of political officials from nations with vested interests, rather than an objective assessment based on facts.

“Iran is committed to its NPT obligations, and as long as unjust sanctions are in place, it will not accept additional monitoring beyond its established commitments. Therefore, the Director General can report any deviations in the verification process regarding nuclear materials as evidence, rather than publicizing his speculations.”