Grossi’s public airing of grievances with Tehran is significant: The IAEA tries to keep any conflicts under wraps so as not to rock the diplomatic boat.
The UN's nuclear watchdog chief will fly to Tehran for talks on reviving the Iran nuclear deal as the standoff between Iran and the West continures.
"Iran should cease its nuclear escalations and return to negotiations toward full implementation" of the nuclear agreement, said US State Department spokesperson Ned Price.
Despite Iranian claims, both in July 2020 and April 2021, the Islamic Republic initially lied to the global media in trying to downplay sabotage operations.
"It's important to bear in mind that Iran is not Syria or Iraq: It always has a backup plan."
The action drew criticism from Senator James Inhofe, Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee who praised Gordon-Hagerty and harshly criticized Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette.
ENEC said its subsidiary Nawah Energy Company "has successfully started up Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, located in the Al Dhafrah Region of Abu Dhabi."
He had been preparing to leave his position in March, well before the end of his third four-year term, which ran until Nov. 30, 2021.