IAEA Chief Urges Iran to Resume Legally Binding Nuclear Inspections

Call for Resumption of Inspections

• 💡 IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi urged Iran to immediately resume nuclear inspections, emphasizing their legally binding nature.
• 🎯 The inspections are mandated by the comprehensive safeguards agreement, not as a confidence-building measure.
• ⚠️ Timelines for inspections have elapsed, particularly concerning changes in Iran's nuclear material inventory.

Mandate and Flexibility

• ⚖️ Grossi stressed that the need to resume inspections is a legal undertaking for both the IAEA and Iran, separate from political decisions or snapback mechanisms.
• 🌱 The IAEA has shown flexibility due to recent attacks and physical destruction in Iran but must proceed with inspections given the important nuclear material present.
• 📈 Resuming inspections and reporting on findings would have a positive influence on the regional situation.

Addressing Security Concerns

• 💬 Iran is concerned that information from inspections could be used by the US and Israel for further attacks on its nuclear facilities.
• 🔒 Grossi assured that the IAEA maintains strict confidentiality protocols, never sharing information with any third party.
• ✅ The integrity of the IAEA's work and its information protection are not to be questioned, as Iran is one of the most inspected countries.

Stance on Violence

• 🕊️ Grossi, as a diplomat, stated he would never condone or endorse any physical act of violence, believing in international law and negotiation.
• 🚫 He clarified that condemning the targeted murder of nuclear engineers and scientists falls outside his purview as Director General, focusing instead on the agency's technical mandate.