Tehran (TDI): Iran on Wednesday formally suspended its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a measure drawn up in the wake of unprecedented Israeli and US strikes on Tehran’s nuclear facilities.
The war between Iran and Israel, which broke out on June 13 and lasted for 12 days, has intensified tensions between Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog.
The new legislation, backed overwhelmingly by Iranian lawmakers, has now been ratified by the Guardian Council and officially signed into law by President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The law, as published by Iranian media outlets, states its aim is to “guarantee Iran’s nuclear rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty,” with a specific focus on defending the country’s uranium enrichment program, a core issue in long-stalled nuclear negotiations with the West.
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While the text does not spell out specific steps to limit the IAEA’s access or inspections, Iranian officials have made clear that the suspension is a direct response to the agency’s conduct during and after the war.
Iranian authorities have accused the IAEA, led by Director General Rafael Grossi, of turning a blind eye to the Israeli and US strikes that targeted key nuclear facilities at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz. They have also criticized a June 12 IAEA resolution which accused Tehran of failing to meet its nuclear obligations, a resolution Tehran sees as politically motivated and used as justification for the attacks.
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Senior judiciary official Ali Mozaffari went so far as to accuse Grossi of “preparing the ground for the crime” committed against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, referring to the Israeli strikes. He called Grossi’s conduct “deceptive” and accused him of “fraudulent reporting.”
Tensions further escalated when Grossi requested access to the bombed nuclear sites, a request Tehran has rejected. President Pezeshkian labeled the IAEA chief’s approach “destructive,” while Iranian officials claimed his request signaled “malign intent.”
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
