TEHRAN — Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), has criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for its 'submission to pressure from the United States and Israel,' saying the UN nuclear watchdog has failed to uphold its responsibility to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and ensure equal access to the technology for all nations.

Speaking on Saturday, Eslami said the agency’s approach to Iran had departed from its legal and professional obligations under the influence of Washington and the Israeli regime. He argued that discriminatory approaches to nuclear issues, particularly the treatment of nuclear weapons and peaceful nuclear activities, had weakened international law and eroded confidence in the international system.

Referring to President Masoud Pezeshkian’s remark that “the bomb is in Israel, while the inspectors are in Iran,” Eslami said the statement highlighted a 'fundamental contradiction' in the international handling of nuclear issues: Iran’s peaceful nuclear program remains under international scrutiny, while Israel’s nuclear arsenal is not subject to comparable safeguards and inspections.

Eslami argued that such double standards, alongside 'unlawful conduct by powerful states,' had undermined the principles of the UN Charter and contributed to the erosion of international legal norms. He said the credibility of international institutions depended on their ability to apply established rules consistently, without political discrimination or pressure from influential countries.

Unilateralism and the Erosion of International Law

The AEOI chief also criticized the post-Second World War international legal order, saying unilateral policies and excessive demands by the United States had weakened the institutions and arrangements established to promote international cooperation.

According to Eslami, Washington has withdrawn from international organizations and cooperative frameworks when their decisions or rules have conflicted with its interests, while seeking to preserve a global order shaped around US preferences. He said such an approach had impaired multilateral mechanisms and made it more difficult to uphold international law on an equal basis.

Peaceful Nuclear Energy as a Universal Right

Eslami stressed that the peaceful use of nuclear energy is not the exclusive privilege of a limited group of countries, but an entitlement that should be available to all nations in accordance with international law and relevant safeguards.

He said the IAEA was established to encourage and facilitate the peaceful application of nuclear technology and to help countries benefit from its scientific, medical, agricultural, industrial and energy-related uses. In his view, the agency has failed for years to fulfil this mandate fairly in its dealings with Iran, instead adopting an approach that has impeded the country’s nuclear development under US and Israeli pressure.

Despite a 'sustained maximum-pressure campaign,' Eslami said Iran had continued to cooperate with the agency’s regulatory framework while advancing its nuclear capabilities.

He maintained that the country’s progress in nuclear science and technology demonstrated its determination to develop the peaceful applications of the field despite external pressure and restrictions.

Eslami also highlighted Iran’s advances in nuclear technology, saying the country produces and regularly distributes more than 72 radiopharmaceutical products, which are exported to 19 countries. He added that another 20 radiopharmaceuticals are at the research and development phase, and that Iran has joined the ranks of the world’s leading countries in producing certain alpha-emitting radiopharmaceuticals.

Eslami’s remarks come amid longstanding disputes over Iran’s nuclear program, the scope and implementation of international safeguards, and the role of the IAEA in addressing so-called nuclear proliferation concerns. Tehran has consistently maintained that its nuclear activities are peaceful and that access to nuclear technology for civilian purposes should be governed by international rules rather than political pressure.

Iran has also repeatedly called for a consistent approach to nuclear issues, arguing that the international non-proliferation system can retain its credibility only if its principles are applied without double standards.