Hyderabad, July 1 -- Iran on Monday, June 30, denied a visit request made by the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect nuclear sites in the country. The denial of the request follows the attack on the country's nuclear sites by Israel and the US last month.

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Aragchi, gave a lengthy explanation for denying permission to IAEA director general Rafael Grossi. "Grossi's insistence on visiting the bombed sites under the pretext of safeguards is meaningless and possibly even malign in intent," Araghchi said in a post on X.

The Iranian foreign minister further said that his country reserves the right to take any steps in defence of its interests, its people and its sovereignty...