Iran’s Parliament approves a bill to suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, following the war with Israel.
Iran’s Parliament on Wednesday approved a bill to suspend cooperation with the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, a development reported by the state-affiliated news outlet Nournews.
This action, which requires final approval from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, comes in the wake of recent hostilities with Israel.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was quoted by state media, asserting that Iran would also accelerate its civilian nuclear program. Tehran maintains that its nuclear ambitions are peaceful and denies seeking nuclear weapons.
The Iranian government contends that a resolution passed earlier this month by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations, paved the way for the recent Israeli strikes.
Qalibaf criticized the IAEA, stating the agency “has put its international credibility up for sale” by refusing to condemn the attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
He further elaborated that “for this reason, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran will suspend its cooperation with the Agency until the security of the nuclear facilities is guaranteed, and move at a faster pace with the country’s peaceful nuclear programme.”
Earlier this week, the general outline of the bill was approved by parliament’s national security committee, reported the Reuters news agency.
Ebrahim Rezaei, the committee’s spokesperson, indicated that the legislation would halt the installation of surveillance cameras, inspections, and the submission of reports to the IAEA.
The resolution censuring Iran followed the most recent IAEA report on Iran’s nuclear program, which revealed a sharp increase in Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent, a level significantly closer to weapons-grade material.
Iran has rejected the IAEA report, claiming it was based on “unreliable and misleading information” provided to the agency by Israel.
