IAEA's inspectors withdraw from Iran after suspension of cooperation

(MENAFN) Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have left Iran following suspension of cooperation by Tehran, the agency confirmed on Friday.

The withdrawal comes after Israel and the United States conducted a series of military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities last month, prompting Iran to halt its collaboration with the UN-affiliated nuclear watchdog.

According to an official IAEA statement, the inspectors departed Tehran and returned to the agency’s headquarters in Vienna after remaining in the Iranian capital throughout the recent conflict.

For years, Iran maintained that its uranium enrichment activities were solely for peaceful civilian purposes. However, Israel has accused Tehran of covertly pursuing nuclear weapons development.

Tensions escalated in mid-June when the IAEA accused Iran of breaching a key safeguard agreement, though no evidence was publicly presented. The following day, Israeli forces launched targeted attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists and uranium enrichment sites. Iran responded with retaliatory strikes, and the United States joined Israel in military operations, resulting in a 12-day conflict that concluded with a US-mediated ceasefire.

US President Donald Trump later declared that America’s military actions had effectively “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, a claim rejected by Iranian officials.

Tehran has long accused the IAEA of siding with its adversaries, alleging that the agency leaked sensitive information about nuclear scientists and facilities to Israel.

Russia also condemned the IAEA’s role, with its Foreign Ministry spokesperson labeling the agency’s data as instrumental in planning the strikes and describing the situation as “a colossal blow” to the watchdog’s credibility.

Reports indicate that during the conflict, IAEA inspectors remained confined to Tehran and were unable to access nuclear sites. The agency pulled its team from Iran citing safety concerns, according to unnamed sources cited by media outlets.

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