Source: United Nations (video statements)
After presenting the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for 2024, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi today (29 Oct) spoke to reporters in New York about the situations in Iran and in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) as well as his own candidacy to be the next Secretary-General.
Following the reported test firing of cruise missiles by the DPRK on Tuesday, Grossi said, “the IAEA as such is not looking at missile capability but is aware of that. And so, it’s part of an effort which is very determined. It runs counter to several United Nations Security Council resolutions. We continue to observe and monitor the nuclear part of it, and it goes unabated.”
He expressed concern over nuclear safety and said the DPRK has “a gigantic program that has enrichment, reprocessing, a nuclear reactor, another one being built, without any view outside from their own people.”
The Director-General said, “it’s been overlooked, and we should perhaps start thinking about this as well.”
Turning to Iran, he said, “after the 12-day war, as it is called, we had to withdraw our inspections from Iran for safety reasons, obviously, because they were there. And ever since I have been trying to reconstruct this relationship. I’m frequently in contact with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and with others. We saw that in July I went to Cairo, and we signed under the auspices of President Sisi and Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty we signed a good understanding that would allow for our inspections to proceed. So, all of this is working, not perfectly though, but it is working.”
On his candidacy, Grossi said, “some people say, well, because you are a candidate for the position, then you are going to be doing this to please a certain country. Well, if that logic was correct, then if I please this country, I will displease the other candidate. And you know that the process, the selection process, is one that has certain characteristics with vetoes and votes and these and that. So, you know, for me it’s a very clear thing. And I’m ready to discuss this with anybody.”
He said, “what I do, what I do at the head of the IAEA, speaks more than words and visions and promises and ideas that I could have as how good a Secretary-General I could be. Just look at what I’m doing. This is me.”
Responding to an Iranian journalist’s question, Grossi said, “you say that a report of the IAEA led to a war. This is something that I vigorously reject. You know, no one can believe that any military activity would be triggered by a report. And one, since you are from IRNA, a very respected news agency, you know my reports. I’m sure you have been reading my reports for many, many years. And you will remember, I’m sure, that in that particular report there was nothing fundamentally different from what we had been reporting and saying for many, many years.”
On the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), he said, “for some, apparently JCPoA is over and done with. Others think maybe not so much, which leaves, you know, us international organisations in a little bit of a difficult situation. However, however, we do have when it comes to Iran, something which is very important. We still have a comprehensive safeguards agreement that they have to abide by.”
Grossi said, “this is not a voluntary measure or an agreement that can or, you know, cannot be observed depending on the mood of the day. So, the moment they decide to stay in the NPT and the comprehensive safeguards agreement with the IAEA stays valid. There are, there’s a regime of inspections which is applicable to Iran.”
A proposal to continue sanctions relief for Iran under the 2015 JCPoA, or Iran Nuclear Deal, was rejected in the UN Security Council in September in a vote that revealed deep divisions over the so-called “snapback” process.