U.S. Condemns Iranian Calls for Arrest, Execution of UN Nuclear Watchdog Chief

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday has condemned the alleged calls in Iran for the arrest and execution of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. Rubio called the ban on Grossi's visit to Iran unacceptable and worthy of condemnation.

Rubio's warning comes after Iranian parliament's deputy Speaker Hamid Reza Haji Babaei barred Grossi and withdrew the inspection from its nuclear facilities. According to Mehr, Babaei accused Israel of obtaining "sensitive facility data."

"We support the lAEA's critical verification and monitoring efforts in Iran and commend the Director General and the lAEA for their dedication and professionalism," Rubio wrote in a post on X, cited from Fox News. "We call on Iran to provide for the safety and security of IAEA personnel."

Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, previously said that the country will not allow the IAEA director general to enter Iran and install surveillance cameras in their nuclear facilities.

The ban comes amid escalating tensions between Tehran and the UN nuclear watchdog over monitoring access and transparency following recent military attacks by Israel and the United States. The move also follows a law approved by the Iranian parliament last Wednesday to halt cooperation with the IAEA.

Furthermore, Araghchi acknowledged that recent U.S. and Israeli bombings caused excessive and serious damage to their nuclear sites.

Grossi predicted that Iran may resume uranium enrichment within months, following the recent U.S. attacks on its nuclear facilities. 

"They can have, you know, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that,"  Grossi said in an interview released on Saturday, June 28, 2025, by CBS News US, cited from Anadolu.

On June 22, the United States dropped six bunker-buster bombs on the Fordo nuclear facility and launched dozens of cruise missile strikes at locations in Natanz and Isfahan as part of its campaign against Iran's nuclear program.

After the attack, the U.S. President Donald Trump's administration dismissed reports stating that Iran's nuclear program had only suffered a setback for a few months, and not "destroyed," as initially claimed by the United States.

Grossi stated that Iran "had a very vast ambitious program."

"Part of it may still be there, and if not, there is also the self-evident truth that the knowledge is there," he said.

"The industrial capacity is there. Iran is a very sophisticated country in terms of nuclear technology, as is obvious. So you cannot disinvent this."

Grossi said the IAEA found unexplained uranium traces at an undeclared site in Iran, but they do not have credible answers about its origin or location.

Furthermore, Grossi also commented on the issue that Iran had moved its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium, 408.6 kilograms, which could yield more than nine nuclear bombs if further purified.

"Some could have been destroyed as part of the attack, but some could have been moved. So there has to be at some point a clarification," he said.

Grossi added that this is why Iran must allow IAEA inspectors to resume their work as soon as possible.

The 12-day war between Israel and Iran erupted on June 13 when Israel launched air strikes on Iranian military, nuclear, and civilian sites. Based on Iran's Ministry of Health report, the attack killed at least 606 people and injured 5,332 people.

In response, Tehran launched missile and drone strikes against Israel. According to Hebrew University data, the attack killed at least 29 people and injured more than 3,400 people.

The conflict ceased under a U.S.-backed ceasefire that took effect on June 24.

Editor’s Choice: IAEA Chief Says Iran Likely to Resume Nuclear Program within Months Following Airstrikes

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