Iran Refuses to Open Attacked Nuclear Sites to IAEA Inspections

Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, made key statements regarding the dispute with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities. Eslami said Iran would not allow the IAEA to inspect nuclear sites that have been attacked.

Attacked Facilities Closed To Inspections

Speaking to the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA), Eslami took a firm stance on the IAEA’s inspection requests:

We have granted permission for facilities that were not attacked. For attacked facilities to be inspected, a protocol is required. Without such a framework, inspections cannot be allowed.

According to Iran, the main reason behind this position is the IAEA’s stance toward the attacks targeting these facilities.

Lack Of Condemnation By The Agency

Eslami accused the IAEA of failing to condemn attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran’s nuclear facilities:

An Agency that neither condemns these attacks nor has any directive for such situations has no right to demand inspections at these centers.

Eslami said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi must answer to the international community, adding:

Our nuclear facilities were under the Agency’s supervision. The Agency must explain why it did not condemn these attacks and what instructions and protocols it has in place regarding attacks on nuclear facilities.

Grossi’s Concerns

IAEA Director General Grossi had previously stated that inspections had resumed but access remained limited. According to Grossi, the continued lack of access to key sites containing nuclear material and equipment—such as Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow—is a serious concern.

Grossi noted that while some facility names appear on an agreed inspection list, it is worrying that the most important and largest sites remain inaccessible.