Tehran (TDI): Inspectors from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog have left Iran, the agency confirmed on Friday, urging Tehran to allow the resumption of critical monitoring activities suspended after recent Israeli and US military strikes.
In a brief statement, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said, “An IAEA team of inspectors today safely departed from Iran to return to the agency headquarters in Vienna, after staying in Tehran throughout the recent military conflict.”
The agency’s chief, Rafael Grossi, stressed the need for talks with Iran on restarting the IAEA’s monitoring and verification work, which he called “indispensable.”
Tehran officially halted cooperation with the watchdog earlier this week, following Israel’s first military strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, with additional US strikes taking place in the weeks prior.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Thursday reaffirmed Tehran’s commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), despite a new law suspending cooperation with the UN’s nuclear watchdog.
“Our cooperation with the IAEA will now be managed through the Supreme National Security Council, in line with safety and national security considerations,” Araqchi said in a statement, addressing international concerns following Iran’s decision.
The development follows President Masoud Pezeshkian’s enactment of a bill passed by parliament last week that halts certain forms of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The move drew criticism from the United States, which labeled it “unacceptable.”
Germany’s foreign ministry had urged Iran to reverse course, prompting a pointed response from Araqchi, who accused Berlin of supporting Israel’s recent airstrikes on Iran, attacks which included hits on nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards.
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Tensions have escalated sharply since mid-June, when Israeli airstrikes targeted several Iranian nuclear installations just a day after the IAEA board of governors declared Iran in violation of NPT obligations.
Tehran accuses the IAEA of bias and claims its reports are being used to justify hostile actions by Western powers and Israel.
Western nations have long suspected Iran’s civilian nuclear program may be a cover for developing nuclear weapons. Tehran has consistently denied the charge, maintaining that its uranium enrichment is for peaceful purposes.
Under the new Iranian law, any future IAEA inspections of nuclear sites will require approval from the Supreme National Security Council, a significant departure from past protocols.
In a brief statement, the IAEA said it was aware of the reports and is awaiting official clarification from Iran.
Meanwhile, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce reiterated Washington’s call for Iran to return to full cooperation with the IAEA “without delay.”
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
