Iran nuclear chief says US threats to nuclear sites show desperation

The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami, said on Thursday that repeated US threats to attack Iranian nuclear sites are a sign of Washington's desperation, according to an interview with Russia Today (RT). Eslami said the US president constantly threatens to attack Kuh-e Kolang and has previously threatened other locations in various ways, describing this as a clear indication of desperation.

In the same interview, Eslami criticized International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, saying he has acted as an obedient agent of Iran's adversaries by providing them with information about the country's nuclear programme. Eslami said such actions amount to an abuse of the authority entrusted to international institutions and call their credibility into question, while exposing serious weaknesses in the Charter of the United Nations and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

The AEOI chief strongly condemned what he described as the IAEA Director General's double standards, saying these have become so evident that they are now being openly practiced. Asked whether Iran would withdraw from the NPT, Eslami said the issue requires a strategic, high-level decision that falls within the country's sovereign authority. He added that what matters is that the country makes its decisions within a broader strategic framework based on national security considerations and national interests.

The remarks come amid heightened tensions over Iran's nuclear programme and repeated US warnings regarding Iranian nuclear facilities. Eslami's comments also reflect continuing friction between Tehran and the IAEA over the agency's reporting and information-sharing practices. According to Mehr News, Eslami made the statements in the RT interview on Thursday.