Iran to Scale Back IAEA Cooperation Following Parliamentary Approval

Iran’s Parliament has passed a bill to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a move reflecting deepening tensions with international nuclear watchdogs and escalating regional conflict. The bill, approved overwhelmingly with 222 votes in favor, none against, and one abstention, also bars IAEA inspectors from accessing Iranian nuclear facilities unless their safety can be guaranteed.

According to Iranian state media, the legislation is part of Tehran’s broader response to what it views as mounting threats to its nuclear infrastructure. The bill signals Iran’s dissatisfaction with the IAEA’s conduct, particularly in the wake of recent U.S. and Israeli military actions targeting Iranian nuclear sites.

Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, confirmed that the measure had cleared committee review earlier in the week. He stated the plan would restrict cooperation on multiple fronts—including the installation of surveillance cameras, facility inspections, inspector access, and reporting—until Iran receives credible assurances about the agency’s impartiality and the safety of its nuclear assets.

The legislative push follows a series of strikes that Tehran says violated international law. On June 13, Israel launched attacks against Iranian targets, and the United States followed days later with aerial strikes on nuclear sites in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.

Iranian authorities have condemned the attacks as breaches of the United Nations Charter and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) stated that the strikes would not deter the country’s pursuit of peaceful nuclear development.

In a statement reaffirming Iran’s position, officials emphasized that the country reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interests, and people in the face of foreign aggression.