Iran Orders Suspension of Cooperation with UN Nuclear Watchdog Amid Escalating Tensions

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the immediate suspension of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog. The directive, announced on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, follows a law overwhelmingly passed by the Iranian Parliament and ratified by the Guardian Council, in a significant escalation of tensions in the wake of recent U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

The move effectively limits the IAEA’s ability to monitor Iran’s nuclear program, which has been enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels. While the exact scope of the suspension remains to be fully clarified, the new law stipulates that any future inspection of Iran’s nuclear sites by the IAEA will require explicit approval from Tehran’s Supreme National Security Council.

Iranian state media quoted President Pezeshkian as promulgating the law, which mandates the government to “immediately suspend all cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency under the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons and its related Safeguards Agreement.” The law further states that this suspension will remain in effect “until certain conditions are met, including the guaranteed security of nuclear facilities and scientists.”

This decision comes after a 12-day conflict that saw Israel launch strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites starting June 13, followed by retaliatory missile and drone attacks from Tehran. On June 22, the United States joined Israel in unprecedented strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz. A ceasefire between Iran and Israel took hold on June 24.

Iranian officials have vehemently criticized the IAEA, accusing the agency of “silence” in the face of the U.S. and Israeli attacks on its nuclear sites. They also lambasted a resolution passed by the IAEA Board of Governors on June 12, which accused Tehran of non-compliance with its nuclear obligations, claiming it provided “excuses” for the subsequent attacks.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi previously stated on Monday that the IAEA chief, Rafael Grossi, was no longer welcome in the country and had rejected Grossi’s request to visit the bombed nuclear sites. Araghchi described Grossi’s insistence on visiting these sites as “meaningless and possibly even malign in intent.”

The decision to suspend cooperation has drawn immediate international concern. While some analysts believe this move is a pressure tactic, potentially leaving room for future negotiations, it undeniably heightens fears regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Iran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons, insisting its program is for peaceful purposes, though the IAEA and Western intelligence agencies have long maintained that Tehran had an organized weapons program until 2003.

The implications of this suspension for global non-proliferation efforts and future diplomatic engagements, particularly regarding the stalled Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), remain a significant concern for the international community.