The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that its inspectors have left Iran following Tehran’s decision to suspend cooperation with the organization. This move comes after a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, in which the United States also became involved, targeting Iranian nuclear facilities.
The IAEA stated that its employees would return to its headquarters in Vienna, Austria, emphasizing the crucial importance of holding talks with Iran to resume monitoring and verification work as soon as possible. IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi stressed the need for continued dialogue, despite the current suspension.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered the country to cut ties with the nuclear watchdog, citing the need for “full respect for the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” The bill passed by the Iranian parliament and approved by the Guardian Council mandates that the suspension will remain in effect until certain conditions are met, including guaranteed security for nuclear facilities and scientists.
The US Department of State spokesperson Tammy Bruce called Iran’s decision “unacceptable,” urging Tehran to reverse course and choose a path of peace and prosperity. “Iran cannot and will not have a nuclear weapon,” she reiterated, despite Tehran’s claims that its nuclear program is for civilian use only.
The conflict began on June 13 when Israel targeted Iranian military sites, killing senior commanders, top scientists, and civilians. The US later joined the conflict, dropping bunker buster bombs on nuclear facilities in Iran, which the Trump administration claimed had significantly set back the country’s nuclear program.
Iranian officials have sharply criticized the IAEA for failing to condemn the Israeli and US strikes and for passing a resolution accusing Tehran of non-compliance with its nuclear obligations. The suspension of cooperation has sparked concerns about the future of nuclear diplomacy and the potential for increased tensions between Iran and Western powers.
Key Quotes:
- “The crucial importance” of holding talks with Iran to resume monitoring and verification work, emphasized by IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi.
- “Full respect for the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” cited as the reason for suspending cooperation with the IAEA, according to Guardian Council spokesperson Hadi Tahan Nazif.
- “Iran cannot and will not have a nuclear weapon,” stated by US Department of State spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
- “The suspension will remain in effect until certain conditions are met, including the guaranteed security of nuclear facilities and scientists,” according to the bill passed by the Iranian parliament.