Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that this year’s IAEA General Conference begins amid a time of serious global strain, a period marked by military conflicts, terrorism, the erosion of nuclear norms, and widening inequalities, which are all testing international resolve.

"We are working with Iran on practical steps aimed at resuming the full implementation of safeguards in the country," Grossi stated on Monday at the 69th IAEA General Conference.

"We are verifying past nuclear activities in Syria, with the country agreeing to cooperate with full transparency," Grossi stated, adding that "staying on the ground at all five nuclear sites in Ukraine, including ZNPP, where the threat of a nuclear accident remains real", "Monitoring the safe discharge of treated water at Fukushima, with results well below safety limits."

Rafael Grossi stated that a "return to realism" on nuclear power is underway, citing data predicting global nuclear capacity could grow by 2.5 times by 2050. He noted that nearly 40 countries are now developing nuclear power, with some being first-time adopters, while highlighting the World Bank's new readiness to support nuclear projects.

He confirmed that this message will be brought to the COP30 climate conference in Belém, Brazil later this year.

"In December, we will host the first-ever IAEA Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear Energy, bringing together the nuclear and tech sectors to explore how AI can power and be powered by nuclear innovation. And in Chengdu, the 30th Fusion Energy Conference will keep up the momentum toward commercial fusion, which I believe we will see in our lifetimes. The Agency is playing its own part in making it happen," Grossi declared.

Military strikes cannot destroy nuclear science in Iran

Speaking at the 69th IAEA General Conference in Vienna, Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami warned that Tehran would deliver an even harsher response should the US or "Israel" repeat their attacks, stressing that the nation’s nuclear science cannot be erased by force.

The Iranian nuclear chief stated that following the attacks by "Israel" on June 13th against safeguarded nuclear facilities in Iran, the world witnessed the country's armed forces shatter the perceived hegemony of the aggressors and deliver a crushing response, with a warning that any future such mistake would result in an even more severe retaliation from Iran.

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The head of the Atomic Energy Organization asserted that nuclear science in Iran cannot be destroyed by military operations, aggression, or terror, adding that the goal of the Zionist regime’s operations is not only to destroy nuclear facilities but has always been to undermine the path of diplomacy and peace.

IAEA silence damaged the non-proliferation system: AEOI director

Eslami criticized the UN Security Council and IAEA Board of Governors for failing to condemn attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, attributing this inaction to US political pressure and warning that it has damaged the global non-proliferation system. He emphasized that IAEA reports, including the most recent one, confirm no diversion of nuclear material or evidence of a weapons program in Iran.

He further accused the IAEA Director General of unprofessional bias for ignoring a 2015 resolution that formally closed past investigations into Iran’s nuclear activities. Eslami condemned the Agency’s silence and refusal to condemn the attacks as a failure to uphold its statutory duties and a permanent stain on its institutional integrity.

Iran stated that its suspension of certain IAEA inspections is a direct response to military attacks by the US and "Israel" on its safeguarded nuclear facilities, a lawful move for national security that does not constitute a withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It emphasized that future cooperation requires new arrangements to address its profound security concerns.

Eslami argued that the aggression Iran faced is unprecedented in safeguards history, creating a critical situation not covered by existing agreements, affirming that a new framework for implementing safeguards under such extreme conditions is necessary, which is the specific purpose of its recent understanding with the Agency.

E3 has no right to trigger Snapback Mechanism

The head of the AEOI emphasized that while Iran fully complied with the JCPOA for a year even after the US withdrew, the Western parties never honored their commitments. He emphasized that under international law, a non-compliant party cannot demand compliance from others, condemning the recent European activation of the “snapback mechanism” as an illegal abuse of the agreement and a mockery of UN Resolution 2231.

Eslami declared that the three European countries, having never fulfilled their own JCPOA obligations, are in no position to act as creditors to Iran. He dismissed any attempt to restore terminated UN sanctions as legally null and void, insisting that Resolution 2231 must expire as scheduled on October 18, 2025.

He asserted that Iran will not relinquish its legal rights under international law and called on the global community to uphold principles of sovereignty and peaceful dispute resolution, declaring that while open to diplomacy, the nation will not yield to any form of pressure and remains united in securing its rights.

Eslami asserted that Iran is the wronged party and demanded the international community condemn the attacks on its nuclear facilities, address its security concerns, and restore the IAEA's impartiality. He warned that failure to do so would betray international law and set a dangerous global precedent.

To this end, he announced that Iran has submitted a draft resolution to safeguard the IAEA's mission in line with its Statute, expecting the General Conference to take measures against the attacks and defend fundamental international principles.

Concluding his statement, the head of the AEOI urged member states to condemn recent US threats and political pressure, including attempts to instrumentalize the nuclear watchdog through its budget.