The Iranian state television announced that the newly-elected President Masoud Pezeshkian has officially ratified a law suspending Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
This decision issued today, according to international news agencies, marks a significant shift in Tehran’s nuclear policy and further deepens tensions between Iran and Western nations over its nuclear activities.
The move follows legislation passed last week by Iran’s parliament, which mandated the suspension of collaboration with the IAEA in response to what Iranian lawmakers described as “unjust pressure and political exploitation” of the agency’s monitoring role.
The law also reportedly reflects Tehran’s protest against recent resolutions and demands made by the IAEA regarding transparency and inspections related to Iran’s nuclear program.
With the president’s approval, Iran is now expected to limit or potentially halt IAEA inspections of its nuclear facilities, restrict the agency’s access to data from monitoring equipment, and reduce compliance with certain transparency measures required under previous agreements, including the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which has already been severely undermined in recent years.
The suspension could significantly impact international efforts to revive the JCPOA and restore diplomatic dialogue between Iran and world powers, especially amid heightened regional tensions and concerns over nuclear proliferation.
As of now, there has been no official response from the IAEA or Western governments, but analysts anticipate strong reactions from both the European Union and the United States, which have long urged Iran to maintain full cooperation with international nuclear monitoring bodies.
