Iran halts collaboration with UN nuclear watchdog

(MENAFN) Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered an end to cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), following parliamentary approval of a bill passed in response to recent Israeli and US military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

The law, endorsed by Iran’s Guardian Council on June 25, mandates all government bodies to sever ties with the UN nuclear watchdog. Pezeshkian has instructed the Atomic Energy Organization, Foreign Ministry, and National Security Council to implement the directive.

Israel defended its attacks as a preemptive strike to halt Iran’s alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons—an accusation Tehran firmly denies. The US joined in by aiding Israel and launching its own strikes, with President Donald Trump later stating that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure had been “obliterated.”

Days before the attacks, the IAEA’s board declared Iran in violation of a key safeguard agreement, citing a report from Director General Rafael Grossi. The report referenced past Iranian officials suggesting nuclear weapon capabilities but also admitted no current evidence of an active weapons program.

Tehran criticized Grossi’s report as biased and manipulated to justify Western pressure. Iran continues to argue that nuclear weapons contradict Islamic doctrine.

While Iran is a signatory to the 1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Israel is not and has long maintained a policy of ambiguity about its own nuclear arsenal, which is believed to include around 80 warheads.

The 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, fell apart after the US withdrew in 2018 under Trump, replacing it with a “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign. Russia, which opposed the IAEA’s resolution against Iran, has condemned the US and Israeli actions as violations of international norms and a blow to the IAEA’s credibility.

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