Iran, IAEA disagree over access to bombed nuclear sites

Iran’s standoff with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has entered a new phase. Iran’s mission in Vienna has strongly criticized a joint draft resolution prepared by the United States and the European trio of Britain, France and Germany.

Iran also rejected remarks by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi that the agency had been “completely blind” for more than a year regarding access to Iran’s nuclear activities, describing the statement as “meaningless.”

The quarterly meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors resumed in Vienna on Sept. 7. Although Iran’s nuclear program is on the agenda, the main dispute between Tehran and the agency concerns Iran’s ban on IAEA inspectors accessing nuclear facilities bombed by Israel and the United States in 2025 and 2026.

Iran has condemned the attacks on its nuclear facilities. The Iranian delegation said the strikes violated the UN Charter and the IAEA Statute and undermined the agency’s legal framework and the principles of nuclear safety.

According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, the delegation described the attacks as irresponsible acts and warned of the possible consequences of normalizing such strikes. Tehran maintains that its nuclear program serves peaceful purposes.

Iran’s mission called on IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to urge the United States and Israel to stop the attacks and threats. A post by the mission on the X platform said these steps were necessary to create conditions for implementing safeguards in Iran.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei described the draft resolution prepared by the United States and the European trio as “meaningless, illogical and unlawful.” He said Iran was ready to respond if the draft was adopted at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna.

Tehran believes that a similar move in 2025 paved the way for the war waged by Israel and the United States against Iran in February 2026. Iran has also defended the restrictions it imposed on IAEA inspectors’ activities and sharply criticized the agency’s leadership.