Iran denies threatening UN nuclear chief after media execution demand

Iran on Sunday denied posing any threat to the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog or its inspectors, following growing international concern over a hardline Iranian newspaper’s call for the execution of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi.

“There is not any threat,” said Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, in an interview with US broadcaster CBS. He was responding to calls by Kayhan, a state-affiliated ultra-conservative newspaper in Iran, which accused Grossi of spying for Israel and demanded he be executed.

The ambassador added that IAEA inspectors working in Iran are “in safe conditions.”

The Kayhan editorial triggered international outrage. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the remarks, writing on X that the calls for Grossi’s “arrest and execution” were “unacceptable and must be condemned.” The newspaper is known as a mouthpiece for Iran’s hardline establishment, and its editor, Hossein Shariatmadari, is a close advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The controversy comes amid rising tensions between Iran and the IAEA, following a recent resolution passed by the agency’s board of governors accusing Tehran of failing to fully disclose its past nuclear activities. The resolution further strained relations, especially as Iran accuses the IAEA report of paving the way for 'Israel's' recent military strikes and a 12-day conflict between the two countries.

Iran’s parliament recently voted to suspend cooperation with the IAEA until the agency formally condemns 'Israeli' and US attacks on its nuclear sites and acknowledges Iran’s nuclear program.

Despite accumulating over 400 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60 percent purity, just short of weapons-grade level, Iran maintains that its nuclear program is strictly peaceful. Western governments and 'Israel', however, view the enrichment as a sign of possible military intentions.