Paris, Berlin and London have condemned what they called “threats” against the head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog after Tehran turned down a request by the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit its .
“France, Germany and the United Kingdom condemn threats against the director general of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, and reiterate our full support to the agency,” Foreign Ministers Jean-Noel Barrot, Johann Wadephul and David Lammy said in a joint statement.
The trio called on Tehran to “refrain from any steps to cease cooperation with the IAEA,” and “immediately resume full cooperation in line with its legally binding obligations.”
The three countries comprise the E3 group, which coordinates on foreign and security matters, particularly Iran’s nuclear program.
On Friday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had criticized IAEA chief Rafael Grossi’s insistence on visiting the nuclear sites bombed by Israel and the US during the recent war, saying such insistence was “meaningless and possibly even malign in intent.”
Tehran reiterated its position on Monday but toned down its rejection, saying it could not guarantee the safety of the IAEA inspectors.
“How can they expect us to ensure the safety and security of the agency’s inspectors when Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities were attacked a few days ago?” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told a news conference.
Israel struck Iranian nuclear and military sites on June 13, prompting a response from Tehran which started a 12-day war where the US also struck three Iranian nuclear sites, before US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire.
One day before the Israeli strikes, the IAEA’s board passed a resolution that accused Iran of ignoring its nuclear obligations. Tehran has argued that the resolution was an “excuse” for the war.
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