US threats against Iranian nuclear sites reflect Washington’s growing desperation: Eslami

TEHRAN – Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), has said that Washington’s repeated threats to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities are a sign of growing desperation, as the United States has failed to achieve its objectives through pressure and intimidation. Speaking to Russia Today (RT) on Thursday, Eslami pointed to the US President’s repeated threats against Kuh-e Kolang, also known as Pickaxe Mountain, as well as previous threats targeting other locations in Iran.

“The fact that the US president constantly threatens to attack Kuh-e Kolang and has previously threatened other locations in various ways is a clear sign of their desperation,” he said. Eslami also took aim at International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, accusing him of serving the interests of Iran’s adversaries by sharing information about the country’s nuclear program with them. He said the disclosure of such information constituted an abuse of the authority and responsibilities entrusted to international institutions, undermining their credibility and exposing serious shortcomings in the implementation of the United Nations Charter and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

The AEOI chief further condemned the 'IAEA leadership’s evident double standards,' saying: “These double standards have become so evident that they are now being openly practiced.” Asked whether Iran might withdraw from the NPT, Eslami said such a move would require a strategic decision at the highest level of the country’s leadership and would fall entirely within Iran’s sovereign authority. He stressed that any decision on the matter would have to be made within a broader strategic framework, taking into account national security requirements and the country’s national interests.