Tehran — Iran’s top nuclear official has issued a blistering rebuke to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), demanding that it break what he described as its “politically selective silence” and formally condemn the Israeli regime’s acts of terrorism targeting Iranian nuclear scientists and infrastructure.
Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said the assassinations of Iranian scientists and repeated sabotage of nuclear facilities amounted to “state-sponsored terrorism” carried out under the direct protection and encouragement of the United States and its NATO allies. He accused Western powers of weaponizing the IAEA to shield Israeli crimes while subjecting Iran to intrusive scrutiny despite its full compliance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Eslami emphasized that Israel’s clandestine nuclear program, operating from its Dimona atomic research center, remains entirely outside the NPT framework, with no international inspections or safeguards in place. This facility, widely believed to produce nuclear weapons, functions with complete impunity under Washington’s diplomatic and military umbrella. He condemned the “shameless hypocrisy” of the US and its allies, which pressure other nations to sign and abide by the NPT while protecting Israel’s status as a nuclear-armed state that has never even acknowledged its arsenal.
Iran’s nuclear chief argued that the IAEA’s unwillingness to challenge Israel’s illegal program undermines global non-proliferation efforts and exposes the West’s true agenda: control over strategic technologies in rival states, not genuine security concern. “If the IAEA wishes to preserve its credibility,” he said, “it must hold all countries to the same standard — including the Zionist regime — rather than acting as a political instrument of the West.”
He further praised the many nations that have signed and adhered to the NPT, from Russia to South Africa to Indonesia, for respecting international law despite immense pressure. In stark contrast, Israel has refused to join the treaty for decades, while using its US-backed nuclear capabilities as a tool of intimidation in the Middle East. Eslami called on the global community to reject this double standard and push for universal adherence to the NPT without exceptions for Washington’s favored allies.
Iranian officials argue that such blatant bias not only emboldens Israel’s aggression but also threatens the stability of regions far beyond the Middle East. The ongoing Genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, carried out under the cover of Western political protection, illustrates how this nuclear shield enables Tel Aviv to pursue reckless policies without fear of international accountability.
According to Mehr News, Eslami’s remarks came during a ceremony honoring Iran’s “nuclear martyrs,” scientists killed in targeted operations widely attributed to Israeli intelligence. He urged the IAEA to abandon its selective enforcement, to condemn both the killing of scientists and the operation of unsafeguarded nuclear facilities, and to stand for impartiality rather than serving as a proxy for the West’s geopolitical interests.
