Iranian lawmakers voted nearly unanimously on Wednesday to suspend all cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear watchdog. This decision, backed by chants of “death to America” and “death to Israel,” aims to hinder assessments of damage from recent Israeli and American strikes, as well as monitoring of Iran’s uranium supplies. The legislation, pending approval from Iran’s Guardian Council, follows comments from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who asserted Iran’s victory over Israel despite significant damage to its nuclear facilities.
Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf emphasized that Iran’s “peaceful nuclear program will continue with greater speed,” framing the bill as a response to perceived illegal attacks. The new measures would restrict IAEA inspectors’ access, conditional upon guarantees regarding the security of nuclear sites. This development poses challenges for IAEA Director Rafael Grossi, who has called gaining access to Iran’s facilities his top priority and expressed concern over the risks of inspecting damaged sites.
Both U.S. intelligence assessments and the CIA suggest that Iran’s nuclear program has been significantly harmed, although there is debate about the extent of the setback. Following the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018, Iran has increased uranium enrichment levels, inching closer to those needed for weapons. Grossi criticized any potential Iranian withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), warning it would deepen Iran’s isolation and exacerbate regional tensions.
Iranian officials maintain they do not seek nuclear weapons and advocate their right to peaceful nuclear energy under the NPT. In a separate diplomatic effort, President Masoud Pezeshkian engaged with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, reiterating Iran’s commitment to regional security.
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