Iran blocks UN nuclear watchdog for refusing to condemn US strikes on nuclear sites

Iran appears to have blocked the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), from visiting the country and carrying out inspections.

On Friday, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country's parliament has "voted for a halt to collaboration with the IAEA until the safety and security of our nuclear activities can be guaranteed," and that this is "a direct result of @rafaelmgrossi's regrettable role in obfuscating the fact that the Agency - a full decade ago - already closed all past issues."

"Through this malign action, he directly facilitated the adoption of a politically-motivated resolution against Iran by the IAEA BoG as well as the unlawful Israeli and US bombings of Iranian nuclear sites," Araghchi wrote on X.

Grossi is the head of the IAEA. On Wednesday, he said much of Iran's highly enriched uranium survived the US and Israeli attacks because it was moved out of areas likely to be targeted. He intended to travel to Iran to inspect the state of the facilities. 

"In an astounding betrayal of his duties, @rafaelmgrossi has additionally failed to explicitly condemn such blatant violations of IAEA safeguards and its Statute," Araghchi said. 

"The IAEA and its Director-General are fully responsible for this sordid state of affairs. @rafaelmgrossi's insistence on visiting the bombed sites under the pretext of safeguards is meaningless and possibly even malign in intent. Iran reserves the right to take any steps in defense of its interests, its people, and its sovereignty".