Iran votes to stop cooperating with UN nuclear watchdog, suspends inspections after Israeli and U.S. strikes
By isabelle // 2025-06-26
Copy
 
  • Iran’s parliament voted overwhelmingly to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, banning inspections until security guarantees are provided.
  • Lawmakers accused the IAEA of failing to condemn recent Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
  • The bill mandates halting voluntary IAEA cooperation and signals plans to accelerate Iran’s nuclear program.
  • The move follows a fragile ceasefire after a 12-day conflict, with Iran claiming the IAEA is biased and complicit in attacks.
  • Suspending IAEA access risks global uncertainty over Iran’s nuclear progress and could trigger further military escalation.
Iran’s parliament has voted overwhelmingly to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, following Israeli and U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities. The legislation, passed with near-unanimous support, prohibits future IAEA inspections and surveillance camera installations until Iran’s nuclear sites are secured in a direct response to what lawmakers called the agency’s failure to condemn the attacks. The decision, now awaiting final approval from Iran’s hardline Guardian Council, marks a dangerous new phase in the already volatile standoff over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

A vote for defiance

The bill, approved by 221 of 223 lawmakers, with only one abstention and one opposition, reflects Iran’s fury over the IAEA’s perceived complicity in the recent strikes. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the agency of betraying its mandate, declaring, “The International Atomic Energy Agency, which refused to even marginally condemn the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, put its international credibility up for auction.” His remarks, broadcast on state TV, were met with chants of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” in a reminder of the regime’s entrenched hostility toward the West. The legislation mandates that Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization halt all voluntary cooperation with the IAEA, including inspections and data sharing, until security guarantees are provided. More ominously, lawmakers vowed to accelerate Iran’s nuclear program, raising fears that Tehran could push forward with weapons-grade uranium enrichment under reduced international oversight.

A pretext for escalation?

The vote came just days after a fragile ceasefire ended a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, during which the U.S. joined airstrikes targeting hardened nuclear sites at Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz. While Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, an IAEA report earlier this month warned that Tehran had stockpiled uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels in a clear violation of its non-proliferation commitments. Israel cited these findings as justification for its strikes, arguing that diplomacy had failed to curb Iran’s atomic ambitions. But Iranian officials claim the IAEA’s refusal to denounce the attacks exposed its bias. “What’s the point of cooperating with the IAEA if we are being bombed?” a regime insider fumed. “IAEA inspectors were only coming to spy on Iran’s sites and provide information about our nuclear scientists and their locations to Israel so they could be targeted.” The IAEA, meanwhile, has scrambled to salvage its monitoring efforts. Director General Rafael Grossi urged Tehran to reconsider, stating, “Resuming cooperation with the IAEA is key to a successful diplomatic agreement to finally resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear activities.” Yet with Iran’s parliament doubling down, prospects for renewed diplomacy appear bleak.

The fallout

The suspension of IAEA access could cripple global efforts to verify Iran’s nuclear activities, leaving the world in the dark about how close Tehran is to obtaining a bomb. While U.S. intelligence suggests recent strikes set back Iran’s program by less than six months, the fate of its stockpile—reportedly over 400kg of highly enriched uranium—remains unknown. Iranian officials claim the material was relocated before the attacks, but without inspections, independent confirmation is impossible. The move also risks provoking further military action. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that war could resume if Iran restarts nuclear activities, while Tehran’s vow to accelerate its program suggests it has no intention of backing down. Iran’s decision to sever ties with the IAEA marks a perilous escalation in the nuclear standoff, one that could push the Middle East closer to all-out war. By shutting out inspectors and vowing to expand its atomic program, Tehran is betting that defiance will force concessions — or at least shield its activities from scrutiny. But with Israel and the U.S. already demonstrating their willingness to strike, the world may soon face a difficult choice: accept a nuclear-armed Iran or risk a broader conflict. Sources for this article include: TheNationalPulse.com Reuters.com FT.com
Copy