UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi on Saturday condemned Iran's "disproportionate and unprecedented" move to bar multiple International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors assigned to the country, hindering its oversight of Tehran's atomic activities.
"I strongly condemn this disproportionate and unprecedented unilateral measure which affects the normal planning and conduct of agency verification activities in Iran and openly contradicts the cooperation that should exist between the agency and Iran," he said in a statement.
"These inspectors are among the most experienced agency experts with unique knowledge in enrichment technology," the IAEA said. "With today's decision, Iran has effectively removed about one-third of the core group of the Agency's most experienced inspectors designated for Iran."
Grossi added: "I call upon the Iranian Government to reconsider its decision and to return to a path of cooperation with the Agency."
Separately, Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiyani criticized the US decision to offload Iranian oil cargo seized by Washington.
"This move is a robbery on the part of the US," he added.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) last week revealed that it had disrupted a multimillion-dollar shipment of crude oil by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The Suez Rajan Ltd company pleaded guilty in April and was sentenced to a fine of almost $2.5 million, according to legal documents.
Empire Navigation, the operating company of the vessel carrying the contraband cargo, agreed to cooperate and transport the Iranian oil to the United States, the DOJ added, calling it the first criminal resolution to such a sanctions-violating sale.
