Iran to suspend cooperation with UN nuclear regulators, Presidential order – country
The Iranian president ordered the country to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency on Wednesday after U.S. and Israeli air strikes reached the most important nuclear facilities, which could further limit inspectors' ability to track the Dutch program, which is rich in uranium to near-weapon level.
However, President Masood Pezshkian's order does not include timetables or details regarding suspensions. However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a news interview with CBS that Tehran is still willing to continue negotiations with the United States.
“I don't think the negotiations will restart soon,” Aragic said. However, he added: “The door to diplomacy will never slam.”
Iran's past IAEA inspections were limited as a pressure strategy for negotiations with the West – although currently, Tehran denies any immediate plans to have a 12-day Iran-Israel war subversion with the United States.
Iran's state television announced Pezshkian's order, which follows laws passed by the Iranian parliament to suspend cooperation. The bill has been approved by the Iranian Constitutional Oversight Board on Thursday and may be supported by the Supreme National Security Council of Pezshki Chair.
“Under the NPT and Related Safeguards Agreement, the government has the right to immediately suspend all cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency,” state television said. “This moratorium will remain in effect until certain conditions are met, including nuclear facilities and the assurance of safety by scientists.”
Get the daily national news
Get news, politics, economics and current events titles delivered to your inbox every day.
It is unclear what this means for the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (UNN Nuclear Monitoring Agency). The agency, Long, has been monitoring Iran's nuclear program and said it is awaiting official communications from Iran about the meaning of the suspension.
Iran's ruling was immediately condemned by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.
“Iran just issued a scandal announcement about the suspension of cooperation with the IAEA,” he said in a post X. “This is a complete abandonment of all international nuclear obligations and commitments.”
Saar urged European countries to be part of Iran's 2015 nuclear deal to implement its so-called seizure clause. If one of its Western parties declares the Islamic Republic not in line with the Islamic Republic, it will re-enable all UN sanctions lifted by Tehran’s nuclear deal with the world’s major powers.
Israel is widely believed to be the only nuclear-weapon country in the Middle East, and the International Atomic Energy Agency has no access to weapons-related facilities.
It is not yet known how Iran will implement such a moratorium. Iran's theocratic government, the Council has enough room to implement what they see as appropriate. This means that nothing lawmakers ask for may not do.
But Iran's actions are not only the most worrying experts. They have been worried that Tehran can decide to completely terminate its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, abandon the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and be eager to bomb. The treaty has countries agreeing not to build or obtain nuclear weapons and allowing the International Atomic Energy Agency to conduct inspections to verify that the state correctly announces its plans.
Iran's 2015 nuclear deal allowed Iran to enrich uranium to 3.67% – enough to promote nuclear power plants, but well below the 90% threshold required for weapon-grade uranium. It also significantly reduced Iran's uranium stockpile, limited the use of centrifuges, and relied on the International Atomic Energy Agency to monitor Tehran's compliance with additional supervision. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the main assessor of Iran's transaction commitments.
But U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington in the first semester of 2018, insisting that it was not difficult enough and that there was no solution to Iran's missile program or support for militant groups in the wider Middle East. This makes the tension-making movement constitute a movement, including attacks at sea and on land.
Iran has been away from weapons level as high as 60%, with a slightly worse technology. If it chooses to do so, it also has enough reserves to build multiple nuclear bombs. Iran has long insisted that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but the International Atomic Energy Agency, Western intelligence agencies and others say Tehran did not have an organized weapon program until 2003.
Suspension is in Israel, after US air strikes
Israeli air strikes began on June 13, which allowed the upper class of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard to occupy its ballistic missile arsenal. The strikes also attacked Iran's nuclear sites, which Israel claims has touched Tehran's nuclear weapons.
Iran said the Israeli attack killed 935 “Iranian citizens”, including 38 children and 102 women. But Iran has a long history of turmoil around political considerations surrounding lower deaths.
The Washington-based group of human rights activists provided detailed casualties for multiple rounds of unrest in Iran, killing 1,190 people, including 436 civilians and 435 members of the security force. The group said the attack caused another 4,475 people.
Meanwhile, it appears Iranian officials are now assessing the damage caused by the June 22 U.S. strike at three nuclear sites, including the strike of Fordo, which was built at the foot of a mountain about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Tehran.
Satellite images from Planet Lab PBC analyzed by the Associated Press showed Iranian officials may have inspected damage caused by the U.S. bunker nemesis on Monday. The truck can be seen in the image, as well as at least one crane and excavator for the tunnel. This corresponds to images taken by Maxar Technologies on Sunday, and also shows the work being done.
–Amir Vahdat of Tehran, Iran and Tia Goldenberg of Tel Aviv, Israel contributed to the report.
& Copy 2025 Canadian Press
