VIENNA/TEHRAN: A few strong words can carry a lot of weight, and Iran says the head of the world’s nuclear watchdog has not been sharing them equally, according to IRNA.
In a statement posted on X on Monday, Iran’s delegation in Vienna criticized Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for what it called a double standard. The mission noted that Grossi had recently used the phrase “strongly condemns” after a staff member was killed at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The delegation called the phrase commendable. Its question was why it is not used in every case.
According to the delegation, Grossi stayed silent when Iran’s own nuclear sites were struck by bombs from the United States and Israel. It described the attacks as unprecedented in the agency’s history. It said he was also silent when Iranian nuclear scientists were assassinated. In those moments, the statement claimed, Grossi appeared to decide that a condemnation fell outside his “scope” and “mandate.”
The tone grew sharper as the message went on. The delegation argued that selective outrage has no place in nuclear safety or safeguards. Such behavior, it said, serves only as a tool for “building one’s resume” and advancing a career, rather than protecting the world from nuclear risk.
The mission ended with a reminder that responsibility, in its view, is not a menu from which one may pick and choose. Institutional duty is not optional, it said, and true professionalism means acting with consistency and steadfastness.
These are claims made by Iran’s delegation, and the statement did not include a response from Grossi or the IAEA. The dispute shows how heated the debate remains over who speaks up, and when, whenever nuclear facilities come under fire.
