ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iran’s parliament on Wednesday approved a bill to suspend the country’s cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in response to what Tehran calls a “politically-motivated resolution” passed by the agency’s Board of Governors.
Iran’s state-run English-language outlet, Press TV, quoted lawmaker Alireza Salimi as saying that both the general and specific provisions of the bill had been approved by lawmakers. Under the new legislation, IAEA inspectors will be barred from entering Iran unless the security of the country's nuclear facilities and its peaceful nuclear activities is guaranteed.
The final decision on these guarantees lies with Iran’s highest security body, the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Salimi added.
The day prior, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was cited by Iranian state media as alleging the IAEA had become “a political instrument" and holding the agency responsible for the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, which involved the United States. He claimed the agency had failed to uphold its commitments.
On June 13, Israel launched airstrikes inside Iran, striking nuclear facilities and killing senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel.
Tensions escalated further when the United States, on Sunday, struck three of Iran’s key nuclear sites - Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz. Tehran retaliated a day later by launching a ballistic missile attack on al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military installation in the region.
The Israeli military action against Iran came less than 24 hours after the IAEA Board of Governors passed a resolution on June 12 declaring Tehran in violation of its nuclear non-proliferation obligations.
Drafted by France, Germany, and the UK (collectively known as the E3) and backed by the US, the resolution stated that Iran had not fully cooperated with the agency under its Safeguards Agreement, obstructing key verification efforts.
The resolution accused Iran of “repeatedly failing to offer technically credible explanations” for uranium traces discovered at undeclared sites, as well as for the “whereabouts of nuclear material and contaminated equipment.”
It further stated that Iran “did not declare nuclear material and nuclear-related activities” at three locations - Lavisan-Shian, Varamin, and Turquzabad - calling this “a significant impediment to the Agency's ability to clarify and verify... the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme.”
Tehran immediately rejected the resolution as “politically-motivated.”
The Board of Governors’ decision followed a detailed IAEA report in early June, which said that Iran continued undeclared nuclear activities and had significantly increased its stockpile of enriched uranium. As of May 17, Iran’s uranium enriched up to 60 percent had reached 408.6 kilograms - an increase of 133.8 kilograms since February - raising international concerns over nuclear proliferation.
Iran dismissed the report as biased, claiming it was based on “forged” Israeli documents. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) condemned the report as an overreach by IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi, accusing him of breaching the agency's duty of impartiality.
Tehran’s nuclear agency, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), also called the report an overreach by IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi and that it violated the principles of impartiality required of international institutions.
AEOI chief Mohammad Eslami doubled down on accusations against Grossi last week, claiming the IAEA director-general had played a “destructive role” and “failed to carry out his duties regarding Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.”
Grossi’s actions, Eslami claimed, “will be recorded in history” as harmful to Iran, further alleging that his “procrastination paved the way for the Israeli regime to advance its illegal objectives.”
In addition to passing the bill to suspend cooperation with the IAEA on Wednesday, Iranian state media also cited lawmaker Esmaeil Kowsari as calling on the SNSC to impose an entry ban on Grossi.
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