Iran blames IAEA Chief for enabling Israeli strikes

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, Iran's Foreign Ministry accused Rafael Grossi, the Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), of negligence and blamed his remarks for fueling Israeli attacks.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei sharply criticized Grossi for failing to promptly address Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. "His statements came too late,” Baqaei told Al Jazeera. He called on Grossi to “assume full responsibility,” noting that the recent IAEA report handed Israel a pretext to attack Iran's nuclear infrastructure.
A landmark IAEA resolution has recently declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations, citing Tehran’s refusal to fully cooperate and its possession of uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels. However, new IAEA assessments have found no evidence of a coordinated effort to develop a nuclear weapon. A separate US intelligence assessment, cited by CNN, stated that Iran remains up to three years away from being able to build and deliver one.
Baqaei also condemned the UN Security Council for “failing to act” due to the positions of certain member states. “We are under illegal attack from the Israeli regime. We will respond forcefully to any aggression,” he cautioned, stressing that Iran had been pursuing diplomacy with the United States until Israeli airstrikes halted the process.
He warned of dangerous consequences if the international community remains passive. “No country has the right to strike another’s nuclear sites. The world cannot afford the fallout of this conflict.”
In a separate post on X, Baqaei had criticized the Group of Seven, accusing it of turning a blind eye to Israel’s “illegal bombardment” of civilian neighborhoods and peaceful nuclear facilities. He demanded accountability from the group’s permanent Security Council members, calling the Israeli campaign “a blatant violation of international law against a UN member state.”
منشور المتحدث باسم وزارة الخارجية على منصة إكس: إدانة البيان المتحيز لمجموعة السبعإن بيان مجموعة السبع يتجاهل بشكل مبطن العدوان الصارخ الذي يشنه الكيان الصهيوني على إيران وهجماته غير القانونية على البنية التحتية النووية السلمية، فضلاً عن استهداف المناطق السكنية وقتل مواطنينا.… pic.twitter.com/kpJy4fNOIr
— 🇮🇷 الخارجية الإيرانية (@IRIMFA_AR) June 17, 2025
Since Friday, Israeli warplanes have carried out wide-scale strikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities that killed senior commanders and leading scientists, alleging that Iran was approaching the point of no return in its nuclear weapons pursuit. Iran, which maintains its program is purely peaceful, responded with successive missile and drone attacks targeting Israeli cities and military bases, as both sides report rising casualties.