Iran Halts IAEA Cooperation by Presidential Decree

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a decree suspending the country’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA], according to a report by the Tasnim news agency on Wednesday.

The decision comes amid heightened tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program and follows recent legislative developments from the Iranian parliament.

Last week, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf announced that lawmakers had enacted a law mandating the suspension of cooperation with the IAEA, which he described as “'Israel’s' protector and servant.”

Qalibaf argued that continued cooperation with the IAEA was untenable as long as the security of Iran’s nuclear facilities remained unresolved, claiming the agency’s impartiality had been compromised by its ties to "Israel”.

Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Hamid Reza Haji Babaei, announced on Sunday that IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi has been barred from accessing Iranian nuclear facilities or placing surveillance cameras there, after Iran suspended all cooperation with the nuclear watchdog.

We will no longer give Grossi permission to be present at [Iran's] nuclear facilities and install cameras [there] because we saw information about our facilities in documents received from "Israel", Haji Babaei told ISNA news agency.

The move follows Iran's discovery of sensitive facility data reportedly found in documents allegedly obtained by the “Israeli” entity. In turn, Tehran accused the IAEA of failing to protect the integrity of its monitoring, resulting in a breach that compromises national security.

Additionally, an examination of obtained documents revealed that Iran’s official and confidential communications with the IAEA, containing sensitive nuclear information, were covertly funneled to the intelligence agencies of the "Israeli" occupation entity, according to Fars News Agency.

According to an informed source speaking to the agency, these documents clearly show that instead of playing a neutral role, the IAEA has become an instrument serving the objectives of the Zionist entity.

This is not the first time the IAEA has faced scrutiny, Fars noted, adding that previous reports suggest the agency’s disclosure of Iranian nuclear scientists’ names contributed to their assassinations in targeted operations attributed to the "Israeli" occupation entity.