Iran suspends cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog
TEHRAN
Iran formally suspended its cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog Wednesday, a measure drawn up in the wake of unprecedented Israeli and U.S. strikes on the Islamic republic's nuclear sites.
The war between Iran and Israel, which broke out on June 13 and lasted for 12 days, has intensified tensions between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
On June 25, a day after a ceasefire took hold, Iranian lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in favour of the bill to suspend cooperation with the agency.
State media said Wednesday that the legislation had cleared the final hurdle and was in effect.
The text, published by Iranian media, states that the legislation aims to "ensure full support for the inherent rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran" under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and "especially uranium enrichment."
The issue of enrichment was at the core of disagreements between Washington and Tehran in nuclear negotiations that had been derailed by the war.
Israel and some Western countries had for long accused Iran of seeking to quire nuclear weapons — an ambition Tehran has consistently denied.
The text of the law did not specify concrete moves linked to the suspension of cooperation with the IAEA, whose inspectors have had access to declared nuclear facilities.
Following the parliament vote, the bill was approved by the Guardian Council, a body tasked with vetting legislation, before a final ratification from the presidency.
Iranian President "Masoud Pezeshkian promulgated the law suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency," state TV said Wednesday.
Iranian officials have sharply criticised the IAEA for what they described as the agency's "silence" in the face of the Israeli and US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites.
Tehran has also lambasted the U.N. agency for a resolution adopted on June 12 that accuses Iran of non-compliance with its nuclear obligations.
Iranian officials said the resolution was among the "excuses" for the Israeli attacks.
