IAEA chief Grossi to speak at Security Council urgent meeting on Iran
3 Min Read
The head of the UN's atomic watchdog announces an "emergency meeting" at the organization's headquarters in Vienna for Monday after the US struck Iranian nuclear sites.
-
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Rafael Grossi, addresses the media after arriving at the Vienna International Airport in Schwechat, Austria, on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 (AP Photo/Heinz-Peter Bader)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi will speak at the urgent meeting of the UN Security Council called after US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, the UN atomic watchdog announced on Sunday.
"IAEA Director General [Grossi] is scheduled to address the ... UNSC on the situation in Iran today," the IAEA wrote on X.
His address is scheduled to start at 19:00 GMT, according to the statement.
IAEA chief calls 'emergency meeting'
In a related context, Grossi announced an "emergency meeting" at the organization's headquarters in Vienna for Monday after the US struck Iranian nuclear sites.
The US on Sunday bombarded three nuclear sites in Iran, including a uranium-enriching facility at Fordow located 90 metres (295 feet) underground.
"In light of the urgent situation in Iran, I am convening an emergency meeting of the @IAEAorg Board of Governors for tomorrow," Grossi wrote on X on Sunday.
The meeting will start at 0800 GMT at the agency's Vienna headquarters.
Read more: AEOI condemns US attack on nuclear sites, accuses IAEA of complicity
Clear signs of strikes at Fordow
Speaking to CNN, Grossi said that there were clear signs of the strikes at Fordow, citing satellite images and the IAEA's understanding of the underground facility, which UN inspectors regularly visit.
However, he said it was too early to judge the extent of the damage.
Read more: Iran: Minor damage to nuclear sites after US attack, no radiation
Israeli, US strikes clearly destroyed above-ground portion of Natanz
At Natanz, by contrast, the Israeli and US strikes had clearly destroyed the above-ground portion of the facility, he pointed out.
Grossi expressed hope that the IAEA's inspectors could return to the Fordow site as soon as possible to assess the extent of the damage.
Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), sent a formal letter to Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), urging the agency to launch an immediate investigation into what he described as an "unlawful act of aggression" by the United States.
Eslami stressed that the Islamic Republic strongly protests the US assault on its peaceful nuclear infrastructure, stating that the attacks constitute “a blatant violation of international regulations” and must be met with clear condemnation from the IAEA.
