In a major diplomatic escalation with far-reaching nuclear implications, the Iranian Parliament has voted to suspend all cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), demanding concrete guarantees for the security of its nuclear facilities before any engagement resumes.
The legislation, approved by Iran's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee and backed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, marks a significant turn in the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict. The bill directly targets the core tenets of Iran's engagement with the global nuclear regime under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), raising alarm in Western capitals and fuelling fears of unchecked nuclear escalation.
Why did Iran suspend IAEA cooperation?
The immediate trigger was the US military's June 22 bombing of three nuclear sites in Iran, following Israel's earlier June 13 airstrikes. These attacks, according to Tehran, represented not just a violation of its sovereignty but also exposed a fatal loophole in international nuclear oversight.
Iranian officials argue that the IAEA, mandated to ensure the peaceful nature of nuclear programmes worldwide, failed to condemn or even acknowledge the airstrikes. Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the parliamentary committee that drafted the bill, said the watchdog's inaction "amounts to complicity". The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) echoed the sentiment, accusing the agency of turning into a "political tool."
No inspections, no cameras, no reports
If enacted into law, the measure would significantly restrict international oversight of Iran's nuclear programme. It would bar inspectors from the IAEA from accessing Iranian nuclear facilities, suspend the installation and maintenance of surveillance equipment such as cameras and sensors, and halt the submission of routine reports and updates required under the IAEA's Safeguards Agreement.
Ghalibaf announced that Iran's "peaceful nuclear programme will now move forward at a faster pace," a statement many analysts interpret as a signal of potential uranium enrichment beyond the current 60 per cent threshold.
Iran accuses IAEA of complicity
The suspension marks a serious setback to the already fragile nuclear monitoring framework established under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which the United States exited in 2018. While Iran remained partially compliant for several years, its patience has steadily eroded following mounting sanctions, Israeli cyberattacks, and now open military strikes.
By halting cooperation with the IAEA, Iran is effectively cutting off the world's only verifiable line of sight into its nuclear activities. Experts warn that this could push the region closer to a proliferation crisis, especially if Iran decides to move toward weapons-grade enrichment.
Strategic shift in nuclear policy
While Tehran insists it has "no plans for non-peaceful nuclear activity," the language from Parliament has taken a sharply defiant tone. Ghalibaf accused the IAEA of "auctioning off its credibility," and the legislation itself frames Iran's cooperation as conditional, not obligatory.
This is not the first time Iran has weaponised IAEA access as leverage. In 2021, Tehran curtailed inspector access following the assassination of top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, believed to be the work of Israeli intelligence.
However, the current context is far more volatile, given the ongoing military conflict with Israel, the US airstrikes, and the collapse of diplomatic backchannels. The IAEA's credibility, neutrality, and ability to engage both Iran and the West now hang in the balance.
So far, there has been no official response from the IAEA. The ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump on June 24 remains in effect. But Iran's decision is a clear signal that it no longer considers diplomatic routes credible.
France and Germany have urged an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council and called for restraint. Meanwhile, Russia and China have condemned Western military actions and urged de-escalation, warning against further escalation. Gulf Arab states have voiced deep concern over regional stability, warning that rising tensions could fuel a broader arms buildup. With the ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump still holding, the coming days are crucial. If the bill is formally enacted and implemented, IAEA inspectors could be expelled within weeks, leading to a total blackout of Iran's nuclear activities.
This is Iran's most sweeping suspension of IAEA oversight in over a decade and effectively blinds the international community to its nuclear activities, deepening fears in the West that Tehran could now shift toward weaponisation.
