IAEA chief rebuffs Israeli criticism, says Iran meets 'fraction' of commitments
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi noted that Iran made positive steps in enabling the inspection of its nuclear sites but is still a long way from fulfilling the March 4 agreement commitments.
Chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi pushed back on Monday against Israeli accusations of bias and "capitulation" toward Iran, defending the neutrality and professionalism of his agency.
Speaking in Vienna days after Israeli officials attacked the IAEA for closing two nuclear disputes with Iran, the UN nuclear watchdog’s chief on Monday flatly denied that the agency changed its standards and capitulated "to Iranian pressure.”
"We never ever water down our standards. We stand by our standards, we apply our standards," said Grossi in a press conference. He defended the IAEA as “neutral, it is impartial, it is technical,” adding that he would “never enter into a polemic” with any IAEA member state prime minister.
“We never politicize. We have our standards and apply them always,” said Grossi.
