Iran has launched a sharp attack on Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), accusing him of undermining the agency's neutrality and aligning with Israel amid escalating Israeli military aggression against Tehran.
"You betrayed the non-proliferation regime. You've made the agency a partner to this unjust war of aggression," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei wrote in a post addressed to Grossi on Thursday.
The accusation came after Grossi, said that the watchdog did not have any proof of a systematic effort by Iran to move into a nuclear weapon.
"This is too late, Mr. Grossi: you obscured this truth in your absolutely biased report that was instrumentalized by E3/US to craft a resolution with baseless allegation of 'non-compliance,'" Baqaei said on his official X account.
Last week, the IAEA said it found Iran in breach of its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years.
In a resolution pushed by Germany, France, and the UK – the three European signatories of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal – and supported by the US, the UN nuclear watchdog accused Iran of "non-compliance" with the nuclear deal.
"The same resolution was then utilized, as a final pretext, by a genocidal warmongering regime to wage a war of aggression on Iran and to launch an unlawful attack on our peaceful nuclear facilities," Baqaei said, in reference to Israel.
"Do you know how many innocent Iranians have been killed/maimed as a result of this criminal war? Is it how an international civil servant tested for assigning the UN leadership?"
'Misleading narratives have dire consequences'
The Iranian spokesman accused the IAEA director of making the UN watchdog
"a partner to this unjust war of aggression."
"You turned IAEA into a tool of convenience for non-NPT members to deprive NPT members of their basic right under Article 4. Any clear conscience?!"
"Misleading narratives have dire consequences, Mr. Grossi, and demand accountability," Baqaei said.
Hostilities began on Friday when Israel launched air strikes on several sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, killing and wounding hundreds, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.
Former Foreign Minister Javad Zarif accused IAEA of adding fuel to the fire through its report.
"When Iran is under military attack and the IAEA chooses to question our intentions instead of condemning the aggression, it becomes complicit," Zarif posted on X.
Grossi says no proof Iran pursuing nuclear weapon
Iran's nuclear negotiator and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the agency's stance was "politicised" and contradicted its technical mandate.
He stressed that the IAEA must remain neutral and not serve as a tool for political pressure.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry echoed that warning, saying such behaviour erodes trust and could impact future cooperation with the agency.
Tehran's criticism followed another interview Grossi gave to CNN, in which he said there was no confirmed evidence of Iran pursuing a nuclear weapon, despite concerns about its enrichment levels.
