Scott Ritter, speaking to Iran’s Press TV, said that Iran, as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), possesses a clear legal right under Article 4 to pursue nuclear enrichment.

He questioned why IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and his staff were cooperating with Israel, a regime that maintains an illegal and undeclared nuclear weapons arsenal and refuses to join the NPT.

“There’s no rational explanation for this except that Grossi has been working hand in glove with Israel to pass intelligence to Israel and the United States about Iran’s nuclear programs,” Ritter stated.

He said that the information transmitted by the IAEA was used to identify sites inside Iran and orchestrate assassinations of Iranian nuclear experts.

“Grossi has the blood of Iran’s nuclear scientists on his hands,” Ritter said.

Ritter asserted that Grossi should be permanently barred from returning to Iran and that any inspection mission under his leadership must be rejected.

He called for Grossi’s removal and the establishment of a new inspection framework containing robust safeguards to prevent Iran’s confidential data from being transferred to hostile governments.