Tehran: Iran accused the UN nuclear watchdog on Thursday of 'obscuring the truth' about the country's nuclear program. The accusation came after Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, stated that the watchdog did not have any proof of a systematic effort by Iran to move into a nuclear weapon.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, expressed his discontent on his official X account, accusing Mr. Grossi of obscuring the truth in a biased report. This report, Baqaei claimed, was used by European nations, specifically Germany, France, and the UK, along with the US, to craft a resolution with baseless allegations of 'non-compliance' against Iran.

Last week, the IAEA found Iran in breach of its nuclear obligations for the first time in two decades. The resolution, backed by the aforementioned European countries and the US, accused Iran of failing to comply with the 2015 nuclear deal. Baqaei further alleged that this resolution served as a pretext for Israel to launch an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, calling it an unlawful aggression.

Baqaei criticized the IAEA director for making the UN watchdog complicit in what he described as an unjust war. He accused the agency of being manipulated by non-NPT members to deny NPT members of their rights under Article 4. Baqaei called for accountability, warning that misleading narratives could have severe consequences.

Hostilities escalated when Israel initiated airstrikes on various Iranian sites, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting a retaliatory response from Tehran. Iranian media reports indicate that 585 people have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded in the Israeli assault, while Israeli authorities reported at least 24 deaths and hundreds injured due to Iranian missile attacks.