Iran suspends cooperation with the IAEA over a politically motivated resolution

TEHRAN|| July 2:  Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has formally approved legislation mandating the suspension of Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), following what Tehran has described as a politically driven resolution by the nuclear watchdog.

The law, which was passed by Iran’s parliament on June 25, was officially communicated to government ministries on Wednesday. It directs a halt to all cooperation with the IAEA unless the safety and security of Iran’s nuclear facilities and peaceful nuclear activities are guaranteed—a condition that must be approved by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

The move comes in response to a recent IAEA Board of Governors resolution that Iran claims has facilitated acts of aggression by the United States and Israel against its territory and scientific personnel.

Among the measures being considered by Iran is a potential entry ban on IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, who has faced harsh criticism from Iranian officials for what they view as biased and politically influenced reporting on Iran’s nuclear program.

The IAEA resolution, based on Grossi’s reports, was cited by Israel in its justification for a deadly June 13 airstrike targeting Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians. IAEA data had previously led to sanctions against many of those targeted.

In a further escalation, the United States reportedly launched strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan on June 22—actions that Tehran says violate the UN Charter, international law, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Iranian officials have strongly condemned Grossi’s failure to denounce the attacks. In a letter to the IAEA chief, Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), criticized the agency’s silence over the Israeli strikes and urged accountability for violations against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

The suspension of cooperation represents a major breakthrough in Iran’s standoff with Western powers and international oversight bodies, raising concerns over transparency and the future of diplomatic efforts to contain nuclear proliferation in the region.