Head of UN nuclear watchdog group protests Iran’s ban on senior inspectors

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency harshly criticized Iran over the weekend for effectively blocking senior inspectors from monitoring its atomic program. Director General Rafael Grossi said the ban in September affected roughly one-third of the organization’s senior inspectors designated for Iran. Grossi said he is currently hopeful that the ban will be reversed and that he is currently in discussions with the head of Iran’s civilian nuclear program.

Why has Iran banned the inspectors? Iran did not give a clear reason why they banned the inspectors but accused the United States and others of trying to use the IAEA for political purposes. The IAEA of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. released a joint statement condemning the bans.

Dig deeper: Read Marc LiVecche’s column in WORLD Opinions about a potential military response to Iran.