TEHRAN, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Iran's atomic chief on Thursday urged the UN nuclear watchdog to clarify its stance on the June attacks by Israel and the United States on Iranian nuclear facilities, state news agency IRNA reported.
Mohammad Eslami, president of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said Tehran had sent a letter to Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), insisting the agency "should determine its position on the aggression against Iran's nuclear facilities."
He added that the IAEA must establish inspection protocols for sites targeted in military strikes, warning that such attacks could pose environmental hazards.
The remarks followed Grossi's comments on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum, where he expressed concern over the standoff with Iran regarding accounting for its highly enriched uranium stockpile and inspecting bombed nuclear facilities, saying, "this cannot go on forever."
Grossi noted that the IAEA has inspected all 13 declared nuclear sites in Iran that were not hit, but has been unable to access the three key sites attacked in June -- Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
Iran suspended cooperation with the IAEA after the attacks, citing the agency's failure to condemn the strikes and concerns over the safety of its facilities and personnel. Eslami said no IAEA inspectors are currently in Iran, with access limited only to undamaged sites.
On June 13, 2025, Israel carried out surprise airstrikes on several locations in Iran, including nuclear and military sites, killing senior commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians. The attacks triggered a 12-day conflict during which U.S. forces bombed the Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan nuclear facilities. ■
