Washington DC [US], June 29 (ANI): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday (US local time) said that Iran must ensure the safety and provide security to the International Atomic Energy Agency personnel.

In a post on X on Sunday, Rubio said, 'Calls in Iran for the arrest and execution of IAEA Director General Grossi are unacceptable and should be condemned.'

He added, 'We support the IAEA's critical verification and monitoring efforts in Iran and commend the Director General and the IAEA for their dedication and professionalism. We call on Iran to provide for the safety and security of IAEA personnel.'

https://x.com/SecRubio/status/1939040882688450864

Earlier this week, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, in his first public remarks since a ceasefire, said Iran had 'slapped America in the face' by launching missiles at a major US base in Qatar in retaliation for American strikes on nuclear facilities at Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz.

Trump had said Khamenei's remarks, which he described as 'a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust', prompted him to halt talks on lifting sanctions and other diplomatic efforts that could have aided Iran's recovery.

Al Jazeera further reported that Trump made similar bellicose remarks earlier during a White House news conference, where he confirmed he would 'without question, absolutely' consider new air strikes if Iran's nuclear programme had not been dismantled.

Iran's response to the strikes has included suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that Iran may reject any requests from the agency to inspect nuclear sites, calling Director General Rafael Grossi's insistence on visits 'meaningless and possibly even malign in intent.' No IAEA inspections have taken place since June 13, when Israel began bombing Iranian facilities, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)