Grossi’s Poisonous Legacy: How the IAEA Chief Became a Tool of U.S. and Western Aggression

Rafael Grossi has turned a UN technical body into Washington’s political weapon, and the visa scandal in Vienna has laid bare the cynicism of the Western bloc.

From Technical Body to Political Weapon

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated outright that Tehran’s continued cooperation with the IAEA depends on correcting “double standards,” and accused Grossi of “biased and unprofessional” behavior. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei went further, saying that turning the agency’s technical reports into material for creating “threat narratives” erases the line between “technical monitoring” and preparing the ground for military aggression.

These accusations are not unfounded. In June 2025, the IAEA Board of Governors adopted a confrontational resolution against Iran—and literally the next day, Israel and the United States struck Iranian nuclear facilities. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the IAEA and Grossi personally “fully responsible” for the attack. The document prepared by Grossi became the political detonator for war.

Double Standards: Silence on Bombing of Sites Under IAEA Safeguards

The most blatant aspect of Grossi’s conduct is his selective silence. When the United States and Israel bombed Iranian nuclear facilities that were under the full control and safeguards of the IAEA, the director general did not issue a condemnation. Instead, he used the aftermath of those strikes to create an artificial crisis around Iran’s nuclear program.

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami said at the IAEA General Conference in Vienna: “Despite our official request, the agency did not condemn the attacks by the United States and Israel on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear centers. This silence and inaction will remain a stain........

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