The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami, has sharply criticized International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, saying he has become an “obedient agent” of Iran’s adversaries by providing them with information about the country’s nuclear programme.

He also denounced the misuse of the authority of international institutions, warning that such conduct undermines their credibility and exposes serious weaknesses in the international legal framework governing nuclear non-proliferation.

“The director general of the Agency has, in practice, turned into an agent and an obedient follower of our enemy, providing them with information,” Eslami told Russia Today (RT) on Thursday.

He said such actions amount to an abuse of the authority entrusted to international institutions and called into question their credibility, while exposing serious weaknesses in the Charter of the United Nations and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

Eslami’s remarks come following renewed US threats to launch military strikes against the country’s nuclear infrastructure.

He pointed specifically to repeated threats by US President Donald Trump against the Pickaxe Mountain (Kuh-e Kolang) facility, stating that Washington’s continued threats against Iranian nuclear sites reflect its growing desperation.

“The fact that the US president constantly threatens to attack Kuh-e Kolang, and has previously threatened other locations in various ways, is a clear sign of their desperation,” Eslami said.

Trump has repeatedly threatened further military aggression against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. On October 16, he told Newsmax that Washington was considering striking Kuh-e Kolang.

He renewed the threat on November 1, telling reporters that the United States still had “one or two sites” to deal with, including Pickaxe Mountain, and claiming that Washington could strike those facilities “in 10 minutes”.

The controversy over the IAEA’s conduct has also intensified scrutiny of Grossi’s role amid the escalation of tensions. On June 12, 2025, the IAEA Board of Governors adopted a resolution against Iran, one day before Israel launched its attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.

The timing of the resolution, coupled with Tehran’s longstanding concerns that sensitive information gathered through the agency’s monitoring activities could be exploited by its adversaries, has further deepened Iranian distrust of the IAEA leadership.

Grossi’s own public statements have also featured prominently in the debate. In an interview with CNN on June 19, 2025, he acknowledged that the agency had “no proof of a systematic effort” by Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.

Against this backdrop, Iran’s diplomatic mission in Vienna has separately denounced Grossi’s selective expressions of concern over Iran’s nuclear activities, particularly his remarks concerning the country’s uranium stockpile.

Tehran has repeatedly criticized a double standard in the international response to its nuclear program, stating that Western governments and the IAEA leadership have focused on Iran’s nuclear activities while failing to adequately address the military threats directed against its nuclear facilities.

‘Double standard’: Iran’s Vienna mission denounces Grossi’s selective expression of ‘concern’

Iran’s diplomatic mission in Vienna challenges the IAEA chief over his self-described “expressions of concern” about the country’s uranium stockpile.

Iran’s NPT membership a sovereign strategic decision

Beyond the immediate standoff with the IAEA, Eslami stressed that any decision concerning Iran’s continued membership in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty must be treated as a major strategic matter falling within the country’s sovereign authority.

He emphasized that the question of whether Iran should remain a party to the treaty must not be approached as an isolated or reactive decision, but rather considered within the framework of a comprehensive national strategy that takes account of the country’s security requirements and broader national interests.

“The important point is that our country should make its decisions within the framework of an overarching strategy, taking into account national security and national interests,” he said.