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A top Iranian official has threatened the head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog following the release of a critical report on Iran’s uranium enrichment.
Some shit you should know before you read: Back on June 13, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a report that intensified global scrutiny of Iran’s nuclear ambitions by revealing that the country had stockpiled 408.6 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity, marking a sharp increase from the previous report issued in February. This level of enrichment is technically just short of the 90% needed for weapons-grade uranium, and while not in itself proof of a nuclear weapons program, it significantly shortens Iran’s potential breakout time. The report also said that Iran had not adequately explained the presence of nuclear material at undeclared locations, thereby breaching its safeguards obligations. Despite these findings, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in interviews that the agency’s technical assessments should not be interpreted as justifications for military action, reaffirming that any such decisions lie outside the IAEA’s purview and fall within the realm of international diplomacy and security policy.
What’s going on now: In a notable development, Ali Larijani, a senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a former head of the Iranian parliament, issued a threat against Grossi. In a post on social media written in Farsi, Larijani said, “Once the war is over, we will deal with Grossi,” a statement widely interpreted as a warning of retaliation for the IAEA’s critical stance on Iran’s nuclear program.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry doubled down on the aggressive rhetoric shortly afterward. In a post on X, spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei accused Grossi and the IAEA of complicity in Israeli military operations, stating: “You betrayed the non-proliferation regime; You’ve made IAEA a partner to this unjust war of aggression.” The remarks referred to a belief in Tehran that recent IAEA reports have fueled international support for Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran sees the IAEA’s findings and resolutions as biased and politically motivated, particularly after the agency’s board censured Tehran for non-compliance with its nuclear obligations.
Israel reacts: Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned Larijani’s remarks, calling them “unbelievable” and branding Iran a “mafia state” for openly threatening the head of a UN body.
