WASHINGTON, USA — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday, June 28, 2025, condemned reported calls in Iran for the arrest and possible execution of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, describing the threats as “unacceptable and should be condemned.”
The rebuke follows a statement from Iranian parliamentary vice speaker Hamid Reza Haji Babaei, who announced that Grossi was banned from entering Iran and that surveillance cameras installed by the IAEA at Iranian nuclear facilities had been removed.
Babaei linked the move to Israel’s alleged possession of “sensitive facility data,” which he claimed was acquired through espionage.
“We support the IAEA’s critical verification and monitoring efforts in Iran and commend the Director General and the IAEA for their dedication and professionalism,” Rubio posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“We call on Iran to provide for the safety and security of IAEA personnel.”
Calls in Iran for the arrest and execution of IAEA Director General Grossi are unacceptable and should be condemned.
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.…
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) June 28, 2025
The U.S. State Department, when contacted by Fox News Digital, said Rubio’s statement “speaks for itself” and declined to provide further comment.
The warning from Washington comes amid escalating nuclear tensions following the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, and subsequent U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan on Sunday, June 22, 2025.
Although a ceasefire was declared on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme have intensified.
Speaking on Fox News’ The Story with Martha MacCallum, Grossi confirmed that two key facilities—Natanz and Isfahan—suffered damage, describing the impact at Natanz as “very serious,” especially to one of the centrifuge halls involved in uranium enrichment.
Grossi also expressed concern over a large quantity of nuclear material that may have been moved.
“I have to be very precise, Martha. We are the IAEA, so we are not speculating here. We do not have information of the whereabouts of this material,” Grossi said, referring to an estimated 900 pounds of potentially enriched uranium allegedly relocated to a site near ancient Isfahan.
He added that Iranian officials told him the material had been moved as a “protective measure,” but said Iran was still under legal obligation to report and account for all nuclear materials.
“My job is to try to see where is this material, because Iran has an obligation to report and account for all the material that they have, and this is going to continue to be my work,” he said.
Iran’s latest move to cut off IAEA access and refuse entry to Grossi marks a significant breakdown in its cooperation with the agency.
Under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), to which Iran is a signatory, the IAEA is mandated to verify that nuclear material is not being diverted for weapons use.
Tensions between Tehran and the IAEA have flared intermittently since 2018, when then-President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 multilateral nuclear accord that placed limits on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
Iran responded by gradually reducing its compliance with the deal, including limiting IAEA access, removing surveillance cameras, and expanding uranium enrichment beyond JCPOA thresholds.
