International Atomic Energy Organization's Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi (right) and head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami arrive for a joint press conference in Tehran, March 4, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

TEHRAN - Iran barred a number of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors assigned to it last month due to their countries' "harsh" behaviors toward Tehran, Iran's nuclear chief said Wednesday.

As for the cooperation with the IAEA,  Iran's nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami assured that the country's nuclear activities are entirely under the supervision and regulations of the agency

President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami made the remarks to reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting in Tehran, while commenting on Iran's barring of several IAEA inspectors in September.

Eslami said the barred inspectors were from three European countries that constantly adopt "harsh" political behaviors toward Iran, without naming the states.

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He added that the IAEA has 127 confirmed inspectors for Iran, stressing that the barred ones fail to constitute a significant proportion of the total.

As for the cooperation with the IAEA, Eslami assured that the country's nuclear activities are entirely under the supervision and regulations of the agency.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said on Sept. 16 that Tehran had informed him of its decision to bar several "experienced" agency inspectors from conducting verification activities in Iran. Grossi criticized Iran's move as "disproportionate and unprecedented."

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In remarks on the same day, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said barring IAEA inspectors assigned to Iran is allowed and reasonable under the bilateral safeguards agreement.