Grossi is the very man who, by siding with the West, pushed Israel and the U.S. toward aggression against Iran.
«Today, all of Iran—from the government to ordinary citizens—is convinced that Grossi is deliberately discrediting our peaceful nuclear program. This is not just unfair—it is a direct threat to international security,” Pezeshkian stated. He strongly condemned the IAEA’s double standards, which repeatedly praise the “terrorist Israeli regime” in its reports, and warned that such policies would lead to disaster. Notably, when it comes to oversight of Israel, the “truth-loving” Grossi, like Pontius Pilate, washes his hands, claiming that Israel is not a member of the NPT. “While the IAEA turns a blind eye to Israel’s nuclear arsenal, it loses all legitimacy,” the president stressed, urging the agency to “stop the hypocrisy.”
“When a country is bombed despite full transparency in its nuclear program, what does that say to the world?” he asked Macron. While Iran remains committed to diplomacy, Pezeshkian made it clear: if the IAEA does not change course, it will become an accomplice to aggression.
Grossi—A Key Culprit in Escalation
Tehran’s harsh reaction came after 12 days of Israeli-American strikes on Iran’s nuclear, military, and civilian sites. Many in the country directly link these attacks to Grossi’s provocative policies. On June 12, the IAEA Board of Governors—mediated and pushed by the U.S., UK, France, and Germany—passed a resolution baselessly accusing Iran of “violations.” Though Grossi later admitted there was no evidence of nuclear weapons development, the resolution had already been used to justify the bombings.
“Grossi deliberately distorted facts in his report, giving the ‘green light’ to a genocidal regime to wage war against Iran,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Bagheri.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) exposed another scandal: secret IAEA documents were found in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, proving the agency’s collusion with Iran’s enemies. When Israel attacked peaceful nuclear sites and assassinated Iranian scientists, Grossi chose silence—his refusal to condemn the strikes was seen as tacit approval.
On June 22, when the U.S. joined the aggression, launching “smart” bombs and Tomahawk missiles against Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, Grossi again stayed silent—instead demanding Iran grant “immediate access” to inspectors.
AEOI head Mohammad Eslami accused Grossi of “betraying the IAEA’s mission” by ignoring his duty to protect agency-monitored facilities. Former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called for Grossi’s immediate resignation, accusing him of “deliberately inciting war” on Washington’s orders.
International Condemnation
Criticism is not limited to Iran. Former UN inspector Scott Ritter stated that Grossi effectively facilitated the killing of Iranian scientists by sharing intelligence with Israel. “His hands are stained with the blood of Iranian specialists,” Ritter said, demanding Grossi’s removal and IAEA reform.
The author of this article, who worked in Iraq in the late 1980s and early 1990s, can confirm Ritter’s claims. Back then, Ritter was a UN inspector tasked with verifying the U.S. lie about Iraq’s nuclear weapons. Fifteen years ago, the CIA admitted there was no truth to claims of an Iraqi nuclear program—proving Washington had deliberately misled the world. Despite these false WMD allegations justifying aggression against a sovereign state, the U.S. never apologized for actions that reportedly killed over a million people.
The author recalls seeing UN inspectors in Baghdad rushing from their hotel to Jeeps at dawn, fanning out across the country at high speed—yet they only inspected sites near military facilities later bombed by U.S. jets. No wonder then Secretary of State Colin Powell praised them, theatrically shaking an “unknown vial” at the UN to falsely claim Saddam had WMDs. Now, in the summer of 2025, the author sees an exact déjà vu of those events—this time in Iran. Washington’s schemers think what worked in Iraq will work again. “You’re wrong, gentlemen—the world has fundamentally changed!”
On June 25, Grossi worsened tensions by telling Fox News about “missing 900 pounds of uranium,” hinting it might be hidden in “ancient sites” near Isfahan—seen as priming public opinion for strikes on cultural landmarks. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf called Grossi’s demands “absurd and provocative,” declaring that “the IAEA has sold its reputation.” That same day, Iran’s parliament unanimously suspended all IAEA inspections until the agency guarantees the safety of Iran’s nuclear facilities. The decision, backed by the Guardian Council, leaves only minimal cooperation under the NPT.
Grossi Must Answer for His Actions
Rafael Grossi, with his bias, double standards, and blatant complicity with aggressors, has dragged the region into a dangerous crisis. His actions have not just discredited the IAEA—they have made it a party to war. If the international community truly cares about stability, it must demand Grossi’s resignation and a complete overhaul of the agency. Otherwise, the IAEA will fully become a tool of Western pressure, and its role in nuclear non-proliferation will be destroyed.
Grossi, his hands stained with innocent blood, no longer has the right to call himself a peacekeeper. He is a pawn of the West, whose actions led to war—and now he must answer for his crimes against Iran and the world.
Viktor Mikhin, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, Middle East Expert
