Reference News Network, June 29 report: According to Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the remarks by an Iranian newspaper calling for the execution of IAEA Director Rafael Grossi are "unacceptable."

According to the report, on the evening of June 28, Rubio posted on the social media platform X: "The actions within Iran calling for the arrest and execution of IAEA Director Grossi are unacceptable and should be condemned. We support the IAEA's critical verification and monitoring work in Iran."

He praised Grossi and the IAEA for their professionalism and expertise, and called on Iran to ensure the safety of the agency's personnel.

Previously, the Iranian newspaper "World" based in Tehran accused Grossi of working as a spy for Israel. The newspaper is considered a government propaganda outlet in Iran, and its editor-in-chief, Hussein Sharif-Adeli, is known as an extremist Islamist.

According to the report, Iranian authorities believe that a recent report by the IAEA was one of the reasons for the air strikes launched by Israel and the United States against Iran earlier this month. In this 12-day war, the US and Israel attacked nuclear and military facilities in Tehran.

The IAEA, based in Vienna, recently adopted a formal resolution stating that Tehran has violated its commitment to fully open its nuclear program and accept inspections. This resolution was passed after Tehran refused to explain its past secret nuclear activities.

According to the IAEA, Iran has more than 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, which is just a few steps away from the 90% enrichment level required for a nuclear weapon, and far exceeds civilian needs.

Tehran insists it has no intention of producing nuclear weapons. In response to the US-Israel air strikes, the Iranian parliament has called for the suspension of all cooperation with the IAEA until the security of Iran's nuclear program is ensured. (Translated by Wu Mei)

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