Iran11 September, 20261 min read
Archive photo · 1 March 2011Iran’s Vienna Mission Slams IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi’s “Selective Outrage” Over Nuclear Attacks
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Iran's Vienna mission accuses Grossi of double standards condemning nuclear facility attacks. Iran cites condemnation of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia worker killing, not Iran-related strikes.
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Grossi’s “double standard”
Iran’s permanent mission in Vienna criticized IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi for what it called a double standard in responses to attacks on nuclear facilities.
The mission said Grossi uses the phrase “STRONGLY CONDEMNS” in some cases but “was never applied when Iran’s safeguarded peaceful nuclear sites were bombed.”
The mission pointed to Grossi’s “strong condemnation of a drone attack that killed a staff member at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.”
The mission asked: “It is impressive that the phrase ‘STRONGLY CONDEMNS’ can be used by Grossi. But why is it not applied consistently in all situations?”
Unprecedented strikes, no condemnation
Iran’s delegation in Vienna said it is “admirable” that Grossi can use the phrase “strongly condemns,” while it asked why the wording is not applied consistently. The delegation said that when “U.S. and Israeli bombs struck Iran's peaceful and protected nuclear facilities,” or when “Iranian nuclear scientists were assassinated,” those actions were “never condemned.”
The delegation argued that the director general apparently considered condemnation outside his “scope” and “work.” The delegation added that “selective outrage is not one of the pillars of nuclear safety and safeguards,” but rather “one of the pillars of resume-building and career advancement.”
Calls for consistent duty
Iran’s Vienna mission said “institutional and organizational responsibility is not optional,” and it said “professionalism requires consistent and stable commitment and performance.”
The mission described the disparity as “selective outrage,” saying it “isn’t a pillar of nuclear safety and safeguards. It’s a pillar of a résumé.”
The mission also said Tehran has repeatedly called on Grossi to fulfill his legal and professional obligations by condemning such acts.
The mission warned that “selective silence undermines the credibility of the non-proliferation regime and the Agency’s claimed impartiality.”