Iran Suspends Cooperation with UN Nuclear Watchdog Following Israeli and U.S. Strikes

by Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a controversial law on Wednesday suspending all cooperation with the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), marking a major escalation in Tehran’s standoff with the West following last month’s war with Israel.

The bill, which overwhelmingly passed Iran’s parliament on June 25–just a day after a ceasefire halted 12 days of intense fighting–effectively bars international inspectors from monitoring the Islamic Republic’s uranium enrichment facilities unless explicitly authorized by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Iranian state media said the law had been vetted by the Guardian Council and formally ratified by Pezeshkian before being forwarded to the Atomic Energy Organization and Foreign Ministry for implementation.

“The government is mandated to immediately suspend all cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency under the Treaty of Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons and its related Safeguards Agreement,” read the text broadcast on Iranian state TV. Though the law stops short of pulling Iran out of the Nonproliferation Treaty itself, it eliminates all routine foreign access to declared nuclear sites.

The move follows a June 12 IAEA resolution that found Iran in breach of its non-proliferation commitments for the first time in two decades. Iranian leaders denounced the resolution as a pretext for Israeli airstrikes on key enrichment facilities. In the aftermath, Tehran refused IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi’s request to inspect damaged nuclear sites, with Iranian hardliners accusing him of espionage and even calling for his execution.

Reaction from world leaders was swift. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar urged the United Nations to trigger the “snapback” mechanism of the 2015 nuclear deal, reinstating full sanctions on Iran. Germany labeled the law “disastrous” and demanded Iran resume cooperation. The IAEA confirmed it was aware of the reports and was still waiting for official communication from Tehran.

The law’s enactment comes amid broader geopolitical fallout from last month’s war, during which Israeli and American strikes severely damaged facilities at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan, killing top Iranian scientists and commanders. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks, killing 28 in Israel, while Iranian officials say over 900 people died in the Islamic Republic. U.S. President Donald Trump claimed the strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, though Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi admitted only to “serious damage,” asserting Iran retains the scientific capacity to rebuild.

Araghchi told CBS this week that nuclear talks with the U.S. remain unlikely without security guarantees. While President Trump remains open to negotiations, he has not ruled out further military action if Iran resumes advanced enrichment or moves toward weaponization.

Though the full implications of the law are still unfolding, many analysts see it as a pressure tactic aimed at restarting talks on Tehran’s terms. Still, with tensions running high and trust between Iran and the West eroded, any path forward appears uncertain.

Latest Worthy News