FRANKFURT: Berlin urged Iran on Sunday (Jun 29) to stop making “threats” against the UN’s nuclear watchdog after Tehran rejected its request to visit nuclear facilities bombed by Israel and the United States.
Tehran has accused Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, of “betrayal of his duties” for not condemning the Israeli and US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, and Iranian lawmakers this week voted to suspend cooperation with the agency.
“I commend director general Rafael Grossi and his team for their efforts and their unrelenting professionalism. Threats against them from within Iran are deeply troubling and must stop,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on X, without specifying further.
“I call on the Iranian authorities to fully cooperate with the IAEA and to ensure the safety of its personnel,” he added.
On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that “Grossi’s insistence on visiting the bombed sites under the pretext of safeguards is meaningless and possibly even malign in intent”.
Iran has said it believes an IAEA resolution on Jun 12 that accused Iran of ignoring its nuclear obligations served as an “excuse” for the war Israel launched on Jun 13.
Wadephul had already urged Iran on Thursday to keep working with the IAEA, calling the vote by Iranian lawmakers to halt cooperation with the agency “a totally wrong signal”.
