Iran blocks IAEA inspections at bombed nuclear sites

Iran says it will refuse inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at nuclear facilities damaged by recent air strikes until the agency clarifies its position on attacks against safeguarded sites.

Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, said inspections of bombed locations would not be allowed unless the watchdog formally addresses whether such military actions are acceptable under international nuclear rules. He argued that if the agency considers the strikes legitimate, it should state so openly. Otherwise, he said, it must clearly condemn them and outline the responsibilities that follow such attacks.

Eslami warned that Iran would ignore what he described as ‘political and psychological pressure’, including renewed inspection demands, until the issue is resolved. He maintained that Iran has cooperated more extensively with the UN nuclear agency than any other country, while accusing its current leadership of acting in line with Western interests rather than the agency’s founding principles.

Iran has previously called on the watchdog to define clear rules for situations in which a country’s nuclear facilities, operating under international supervision, come under military attack.

The comments follow Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets in June, which triggered a 12-day conflict and culminated in U.S. attacks on Iran’s civilian nuclear facilities.