Iranian WikiLeaks: IAEA General Director Rafael Grossi? An Israeli spy!
Meanwhile IAEA BoG declares Iran "not complying with its nuclear obligations" and Netanyahu's Israeli government survives a vote against him at the Knesset.
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Now, let’s go into the article itself, as there are quick huge developments, starting with where we left yesterday, i.e. with my update on US evacuation of embassies and bases across the Middle East…
As mentioned at the end of my previous original article, the Outlaw US Empire has indeed started today partial evacuation of its embassy in Baghdad (Iraq) and authorized military dependents to leave bases across the region, according to 4 US and 2 Iraqi officials quoted by Al Mayadeen, though they insist that there is no imminent security threat, but “to help the families of diplomats plan for a potential departure in an orderly and timely manner” via commercial flights, though “US military support is on standby, if needed”. On the other hand, “core diplomatic staff, including the chargé d’affaires, will remain at the embassy and continue operations”. An Iraqi Foreign Ministry official confirmed the partial evacuation, allegedly because of “potential security concerns related to possible regional tensions”.
Nevertheless, no evacuation has been ordered from the US Embassy and the Al Udeid Air Base (the largest regional military hub) in Qatar, where operations are unchanged.
At the same time, yesterday “the UK’s maritime agency issued a warning about the potential for heightened military activity across critical maritime corridors, including Gulf of Oman, and the Strait of Hormuz, amid rising Middle East tensions. The advisory urged vessels to proceed with caution in Iranian-adjacent waters”.
In summary, though some initial rumours were unfounded, there are still ominous signals coming from the region, in my opinion, though an unnamed Iranian official, interviewed by Al Mayadeen, said that the ongoing US operations are intended just to put pressure on Iran in the ongoing indirect US-Iran talks on a nuclear deal, adding (emphasis mine):
There is no real indication that the region is heading towards a military escalation between Iran and the US.
[However] Any Israeli military action against Iranian nuclear facilities will be met with an unprecedented response from Tehran.
Just to give another warning to the (Anglo-)Zionists, a senior Iranian security official told the following to Press TV today, as reported by the Iranian Tasnim News Agency:
Iran is currently at its highest level of military readiness, and if the United States or the Zionist regime attempts any act of aggression, they will be caught by surprise.
[Referring to recent US military repositioning in the region] What the Americans are doing is not a message of threat to Iran, but rather a reaction to Iran’s threats against their interests.
The trove of secret Israeli documents has given Iran extensive intelligence superiority regarding the target bank of the United States and the Zionist regime.
Iran is now capable of catching its enemies by surprise by launching deadly preemptive strikes before any hostile movement on their part.
…thus contradicting US President Donald J. Trump’s statements yesterday:
They [US personnel] are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place. We’ve given notice to move out, and we’ll see what happens.
Yesterday evening Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tweeted this powerful statement, lashing out against the so-called E3 (UK, France and Germany - all emphasis mine, all-caps original):
The E3 have had SEVEN YEARS to implement their JCPOA commitments. They have utterly failed, either by design or ineptitude.
Instead of displaying remorse or a desire to facilitate diplomacy, the E3 is today promoting confrontation through the absurd demand that Iran must be punished for exercising its right under the JCPOA to respond to non-performance by counterparts.
As I have warned: Another major strategic mistake by the E3 will compel Iran to react STRONGLY. Blame will lie solely and FULLY with malign actors who shatter their own relevance.
…as quoted also by Al Mayadeen, which, in another article published this morning, confirmed that Oman will still host the 6th round of indirect US-Iran nuclear talks this coming Sunday, 15th June 2025, despite rumours spread by Pepe Escobar overnight on his Telegram channel that…
There will NOT be a new round of indirect US-Iran negotiations in Oman this Sunday.
This does NOT look good.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi himself confirmed the 6th round of indirect talks with the following tweet on X:
So, there is still hope, though Al Mayadeen reported that “Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Mossad Chief David Barnea will take off tomorrow for talks with US special envoy Steve Witkoff ahead of the next round of talks between Tehran and Washington on Iran’s nuclear program”, quoting an unnamed Israeli official, stating that the meeting is intended to “clarify Israel’s position”.
While visiting the western Iranian city of Ilam yesterday, the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian commented on the restrictions the West is trying to impose on his country, stating the following, as per Tasnim (all emphasis mine):
Why should we wait for others to decide whether we can access a certain pharmaceutical material that is related to nuclear energy?
If there is any doubt, let them (the same Western parties) come and inspect for themselves.
Rejecting nuclear weapons does not mean we should relinquish our right to scientific and technological advancement.
This dialogue [with the Outlaw US Empire and its European vassal states] does not translate into bowing down to force. The Islamic Republic stands firm against oppression and coercion.
Can any human being with a (modicum of) conscience accept a cowardly regime’s attacking defenseless women and children, dropping bombs on civilians, and blocking access to food and water?
Is this what human rights look like? Do such atrocities serve as examples of democracy and freedom?
In the meantime, earlier today, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, ordered the commencement of a new round of nationwide military exercises, called “Eghtedar drills” (Drills of Authority), aimed at enhancing “the defensive strength, operational readiness, and deterrence capabilities of Iran’s armed forces”, as reported by Al Mayadeen and Tasnim. Apparently these military drills have been rescheduled earlier than usual to boost deterrence in response to the ongoing developments in the region.
This afternoon, the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Major General Hossein Salami, was quoted by IRNA and Tasnim as stating (all emphasis mine):
The enemy sometimes threatens us with military action. We have always said and we say today that we stand fully ready for any scenarios, situations, and circumstances.
The enemy thinks it can fight Iran the same way it fights defenseless Palestinians who are under an Israeli siege. We are war-tested and experienced.
We are ready, and this is the reality we have been living with for years because being prepared for a war on any scale is our job and duty.
The enemy wants to isolate us politically and impose sanctions, but Iran is so influential that no one can exclude it from regional and global equations.
They could not stand up against the Yemeni youth and were crushed; how can they possibly confront a great nation like Iran?
Good question! Well… as they say: FAFO, that is “F*ck Around and Find Out”!
Meanwhile, this morning the Board of Governors (BoG) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) adopted the anti-Iran resolution advanced by the Outlaw US Empire and the E3, with 19 countries voting in favour, 3 against (Russia, China and Burkina Faso) and 11 abstaining, thus declaring Iran as “not complying with its obligations” under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) for the first time in 20 years, as per The Guardian. This could “could pave the way for the reimposition of U.N. sanctions—lifted under a 2015 nuclear accord known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)”, as reported by IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency).
Soon after the adoption of this resolution, the Iranian Foreign Ministry and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran issued a strong statement against it, “the four countries for politicizing the agency and misusing its platform without legal or technical justification” and announcing that Iran will respond by establishing a new enrichment centre in a secure location and replacing the older first-generation centrifuges at the Shahid Dr. Alimohammadi (Fordow) site with advanced IR-6 machines. Here are some snippets as quoted by Tasnim and IRNA (all emphasis mine - see also this other Tasnim article with a summary of statements by Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baqaei):
The Islamic Republic of Iran has no choice but to respond to this political resolution.
Iran has always complied with its safeguards obligations.
These actions by the four countries have seriously undermined the credibility and integrity of the IAEA and further revealed the agency’s political character.
These actions by the four countries take place while they remain silent regarding the Zionist regime’s exclusion from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its development of weapons of mass destruction programs, including nuclear weapons. They have also failed to take any action in response to this regime’s threats to attack the peaceful nuclear facilities of NPT member states.
We thank the countries that voted against or abstained.
Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesperson and deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), was quoted this afternoon by Tasnim and IRNA as saying (all emphasis mine):
This is not the first time such resolutions are issued. They believe pressure will force Iran to back down from its rightful positions. This is a grave strategic mistake.
We warned them before. If they escalate, we will respond accordingly.
We are replacing first-generation machines with sixth-generation advanced centrifuges. This means a dramatic increase in enriched material production.
Pressure will not work and we are preparing ourselves.
Despite harsh sanctions, they still make baseless claims dating back 25 years. This is political exploitation, not cooperation.
Expect something of the same scale again. [Referring to previous increase of 60% enrichment capacity sevenfold]
Among 32 countries under safeguards, Iran alone accounts for 72% of inspections. Globally, 22% of IAEA inspections are in Iran.
We will reconsider continuing at this level if our goodwill is not acknowledged.
[Regarding the possibility of a UN Security Council referral] While the resolution mentions this option, no such request has been made. Even if they try, they will not succeed. We count on our allies [i.e. Russia and China, UNSC permanent members with veto rights].
Our suspensions have been lawful under Articles 26 and 36 of the JCPOA. These were temporary and compensatory.
There’s no legal ground for accusing Iran of violations. Any action would be purely political.
We know how to defend our rights. If Obama once said he wished he could dismantle Iran’s nuclear industry, his successors may soon admit the same.
We know get into the core of this article and, in particular, to the topic from which it takes its name. In fact, today Iranian media outlets (e.g. Fars News Agency) have published a series of documents revealing a longstanding covert coordination and partnership between Israeli officials and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, a collaboration “designed to politicize the agency’s oversight of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program”, according to Iranian officials quoted by Al Mayadeen, thus showing that the the Grossi was aligned with Israeli directives regarding Iran’s nuclear. I suspect that this was probably in response to the IAEA resolution.
Among the Israeli officials involved there is Merav Zafary-Odiz, the Israeli permanent representative to the IAEA from 2014 to 2016, who, according to the documents, was regularly criticizing Iran’s cooperation during BoG meetings and accusing “the previous IAEA chief, Yukiya Amano, of disseminating ‘inaccurate’ information about Iran’s nuclear progress”. However, she “also maintained a direct line to Grossi, including an urgent meeting request dated 10th May 2016, to discuss shifting developments” and she was also “tasked with shaping international perception to divert attention from ‘Israel’s’ nuclear program by intensifying scrutiny on Iran”, in violation of IAEA’s principle of neutrality and in an “effort to erode Iran’s legitimate nuclear rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)”.
Iranian media quoted by Al Mayadeen reported that…
The documents confirm that Grossi’s cooperation with Israeli officials began in 2016 and involved coordinated efforts to shape narratives and reports about Iran.
…with one document outlining a strategy to escalate pressure against Iran just 5 months after the signing of the JCPOA in 2015.
Of course Western mainstream media (MSM) ignored the matter altogether: for instance, The Guardian did not cover this at all in its “Middle East crisis” blog. On the other hand, Israeli media, such as Israel Hayom, tended to minimize, if not dismiss the story.
Moving briefly to Israel, its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu survived a preliminary vote at the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) to dissolve itself, as - in the end - most Haredi (i.e. ultra-Orthodox) lawmakers withdrew their support for the motion, with 61 votes against it and 53 in favour (the threshold was exactly 61, as the Knesset has 120 seats), meaning that no new proposal to dissolve the Knesset can be introduced for another six months. As reported by Al Mayadeen…
After meetings with Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee Chair Yuli Edelstein, both [ultra-Orthodox Shas and Degel HaTorah] parties announced that “understandings have been reached” on legislation that would preserve the exemption of yeshiva students from military service, a long-standing point of contention in Israeli politics.
…whereas “Agudath Israel, another ultra-Orthodox faction, defied its coalition partners”, with two of its members voting in favour of the bill and one against it, and the “Hasidic party said it had not received any concrete proposals and declared that its lawmakers would back dissolution if no written offer was submitted in time”.
In this way, Netanyahu’s government is still standing, though its coalition is somehow fractured. Edelstein, a senior Likud lawmaker, whose committee “is now expected to begin deliberations ahead of a second and third vote on the law”, was quoted as saying:
This is historic news and we are on our way to real change in Israeli society and strengthening the State of Israel’s security.
Let’s hope that Netanyahu does not start a war against Iran, as he is still clinging safely to power now!
The following statements issued by US Ambassador to Tel Aviv Mike Huckabee during in an interview with Israeli Ynet, as quoted by Al Mayadeen tonight, bring some (temporary?) hope:
An Israeli attack on Iran without US greenlight is an unrealistic scenario.
I can’t say that the President gave any instructions. I know they’ve had many conversations and they’ve discussed all aspects, but it would not be like the President to give instructions to the Prime Minister any more than it would be typical that the prime minister would give instructions to the president.
The President made very clear that Iran is not going to have a nuclear weapon, that Iran isn’t going to have any enrichment, and I don’t know how much clearer he could get than he was.
The Lebanese news media outlet also quoted the following statement by Trump during a phone conversation with Netanyahu earlier this week, citing Israeli Channel 12 sources:
You don't have a green light, there will be a deal with Iran. The attack (on Iran) needs to be taken off the agenda right now.
I want you to work on ending the war in Gaza, not just the Deal of the Century, the war has exhausted itself.
However, Donald Trump’s latest statements earlier tonight contradict what Mike Huckabee said before. Here is what he said, as quoted by Al Mayadeen:
I don't want to say imminent, but it looks like it's something that could very well happen. I'd love to avoid the conflict.
We are fairly close to a pretty good agreement [with Iran].
I don’t want them {the Israelis] going in, because I think it would blow it. Might help it actually, but it also could blow it.
As usual, trying to understand the foreign policy of Trump’s administration or, even worse, his own contradicting statements is quite pointless. So, let’s forget it and focus instead on the consistent messages that Iran and its allies send every day.
Finally, it’s worth reporting that a Pew Research survey, cited in this Al Mayadeen article (check it out for more details), on global opinion of Trump 2025 revealed that…
Out of more than 28,000 people surveyed across 24 countries, only 34% expressed any confidence in Donald Trump to “do the right thing in world affairs”, while 62% said they had little or no confidence in his leadership.
Respondents widely described Trump as “arrogant” and “dangerous", with only a minority labeling him “honest”.
Colour me surprised!
Does anyone take notice of the USA/Europe and the disgusting UK?
Send 'weapons Inspectors' into the above Countries.
Sanction the West.
What is happening now: Iran has CONTINUALLY reported that they do not want Nuclear weapons: the WHITE West does not understand this because all they want are wars because their politicians are useless/elite/money grabbing so-called politicians..
Sanction Europe/USA and above all UK
I do not support any Country that does NOT tell the truth.
Come on Western Empire and start your fucking wars with no regard to what your own people are saying. Democracy in the West is a joke.
With the level of venality one must assume everyone has sold out if they originate in the West- the level of cartel, mafia level infra structures within the oligarchic banking systems obfuscates everything and once you destroy any trust all is chaos. Moral people have a difficult time acknowledging this level of venality and evil. They have suspended their ability for critical thinking in order to maintain the illusion that their governments are just entities. Hoping always for a savior - see con from DJT which people bought despite him bringing us Operation Warp Speed the covid hoax and weapon focused on all humanities demise.