Iran will no longer Cooperate with IAEA on Nuclear Issues

Iran on Wednesday officially suspended its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, a move the world body described as "obviously concerning". It comes after last month's 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, which saw unprecedented Israeli and US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and sharply escalated tensions between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

On June 25, a day after a ceasefire took hold, Iranian lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to suspend cooperation with the Vienna-based IAEA. State media confirmed on Wednesday the legislation had now taken effect.

The law aims to "ensure full support for the inherent rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran" under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, with a particular focus on uranium enrichment, according to Iranian media.

During a daily briefing, the spokesman for the UN secretary general, Stephane Dujarric, said the Iranian decision was "obviously concerning". "I think the Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres) has been very consistent in his call for Iran to cooperate with the IAEA, and, frankly, for all countries to work closely with the IAEA on nuclear issues," he told reporters.

While IAEA inspectors have had access to Iran's declared nuclear sites, their current status is uncertain amid the suspension. On Sunday, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, said the inspectors' work had been suspended but denied any threats against them or IAEA chief Rafael Grossi. He said the "inspectors are in Iran and are safe", but "their activities have been suspended, and they are not allowed to access our sites".

Uranium enrichment has long been a core sticking point in nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, which have since stalled due to the conflict. Israel and some Western countries accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons - claims Tehran denies.

The ISNA news agency cited lawmaker Alireza Salimi as saying the inspectors now needed approval from Iran's Supreme National Security Council to access nuclear sites. Separately, the Mehr news agency cited lawmaker Hamid Reza Haji Babaei as saying Iran would stop allowing IAEA cameras in nuclear facilities, though it was unclear if this was a requirement of the new law.

After parliament passed the bill, it was approved by the Guardian Council and President Masoud Pezeshkian formally enacted the suspension on Wednesday, according to state television. In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar urged European signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal to trigger the "snapback" mechanism and reinstate all UN sanctions on Iran.

The snapback, set to expire in October, was part of the nuclear accord that collapsed after the United States unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018. Iran began scaling back its commitments a year later. Iranian officials have warned the mechanism could prompt their withdrawal from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Israel, widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, is not an NPT signatory.

Germany's foreign ministry spokesman Martin Giese said Iran's move to suspend cooperation with the IAEA was a "disastrous signal". Since the Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Tehran has sharply criticised the IAEA for its silence and condemned a June 12 UN resolution accusing Iran of non-compliance, which Iranian officials say
provided a pretext for the attacks.

On Wednesday, senior judiciary official Ali Mozaffari accused Grossi of "preparing the groundwork" for Israel's aids and called for him to be held accountable, citing "deceptive actions and fraudulent reporting".