BUENOS AIRES: Argentina has condemned what it said were threats against UN nuclear watchdog chief and Argentine Rafael Grossi after Iran rejected his request to visit nuclear facilities bombed by Israel and the United States.
Tehran has accused Grossi of “betrayal of his duties” for not condemning the Israeli and US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites this month, and Iranian lawmakers voted to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which he leads.
Argentina’s foreign ministry on Saturday expressed its support for Grossi, and said it “categorically condemns the threats against him coming from Iran.”
The ministry also urged Iranian authorities to guarantee the safety of the IAEA chief and his team, and “refrain from any action that could put them at risk,“ according to a statement on social media platform X.
It did not specify what threats Grossi had received.
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 June 12 that accused Iran of ignoring its nuclear obligations served as an “excuse” for the 12-day war Israel launched on June 13.
Before the conflict, Iran enriched uranium to 60 percent, above levels for civilian use but still below the 90 percent needed to make an atomic weapon.
Israel has said its bombing campaign on Iranian nuclear and military sites was aimed at keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon — a goal Tehran has repeatedly denied.
In an interview with CBS News that aired Saturday, Grossi said Iran likely will be able to begin to produce enriched uranium “in a matter of months,“ despite damage to several nuclear facilities from the recent strikes.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday offered Washington’s support for the IAEA’s work in Iran, and praised Grossi and the agency for their “dedication and professionalism.”
