The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, denied claims that Iran was threatening or calling for the execution of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi.
In an interview on CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” Iravani was asked about Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s warning on Saturday that “calls in Iran” for Grossi’s arrest and execution “are unacceptable and should be condemned.”
“To be clear, is Iran threatening UN inspectors?” moderator Margaret Brennan asked Iravani.
“No, there is no[t] any threat,” Iravani said, adding that cooperation with the IAEA has been suspended, “But there is no[t] any threat against the general director of the IAEA.”
Iravani maintained that Iran will criticize the IAEA but suggested any threat would come from the individual level and does not reflect the general view of the government.
“Maybe some one — it is individual — opinion of the people that may criticize the IAEA or threat the general director,”’ he said. “But we criticize IAEA. Our assessment is that they have not done their jobs.”
Iravani also assured Brennan that the inspectors are safe but that they cannot resume their work inspecting.
“They are in Iran. They are in the safe condition, but the activity has been suspended,” he said. “They cannot have accesses to our site.”
When Brennan asked whether Iravani would condemn calls for the IAEA chief’s execution, the Iranian envoy said, “yeah,” before saying something inaudible.
Rubio issued his statement Saturday calling for Iranian officials to condemn the calls for Grossi’s execution.
“We support the lAEA’s critical verification and monitoring efforts in Iran and commend the Director General and the lAEA for their dedication and professionalism. We call on Iran to provide for the safety and security of IAEA personnel,” he wrote.
