Iran suspends nuclear cooperation amid escalating hostility from U.S. and Israel

Department of Research, Studies and International News 03-07-2025

In a significant and defiant move against mounting Western pressure, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has signed into law a bill that formally suspends cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The decision follows a string of hostile actions by Israel and the United States, including military strikes targeting Iranian nuclear infrastructure and the assassination of senior Iranian officials and scientists.

Announced by Iranian state television on Wednesday, the law effectively halts the IAEA’s unimpeded access to Iran’s nuclear facilities. According to the new regulation, any future inspections must receive prior authorization from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, reflecting a shift in Tehran’s posture toward the United Nations nuclear watchdog.

This legislation was approved by the Iranian Parliament last week as a direct response to the Israeli aggression on June 13, which marked the beginning of a 12-day conflict. The attacks, targeting nuclear and military installations across the Islamic Republic, were followed by further U.S. airstrikes on June 22, hitting key sites including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The coordinated assaults resulted in the death of at least 935 Iranians, including women and children, according to judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir.

In stark contrast, Iran’s retaliatory strikes, executed through drone and missile operations, resulted in 28 fatalities inside Israel. While Iranian officials have acknowledged “serious damage” to parts of the nuclear infrastructure, they emphasized that such assaults cannot erase scientific progress. “Technology and knowledge cannot be bombed into extinction,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated during an interview with CBS.

The international reaction to Iran’s new policy has been predictably polarized. Israeli officials, through Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, immediately called upon European signatories of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to activate the so-called “snapback” mechanism, aimed at restoring UN sanctions on Iran. This clause, however, is set to expire by October 2025 and has largely lost credibility since the U.S. unilaterally exited the deal in 2018 under the Trump administration.

Germany, aligning itself with the U.S. and Israel, criticized Iran’s decision as a “disastrous signal,” with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Martin Giese asserting that diplomacy depends on cooperation with the IAEA. In response, the Agency said it is awaiting official clarification from Tehran regarding the status of its inspectors and monitoring protocols.

Tehran, however, appears unbothered by Western discontent. Iranian officials have not only rejected a recent request from IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to visit bombed nuclear sites but are also weighing the possibility of banning him from entering the country altogether. Foreign Minister Araghchi described Grossi’s behavior as “destructive,” accusing him of aligning with Tel Aviv and Washington under the guise of nuclear oversight.

“Grossi’s insistence on visiting bombed facilities is not only irrelevant under current conditions but may also carry hostile intent,” Araghchi said in a post on X. “Iran reserves the right to take any and all measures necessary to protect its sovereignty and its people.”

Hostility toward Grossi has escalated further in the Iranian media. The conservative daily Kayhan recently claimed that declassified intelligence suggests Grossi may be operating as a covert agent for the Israeli intelligence services, with some voices even calling for legal action against him. Nevertheless, Iranian officials have maintained that no threats have been made against IAEA personnel.

At the heart of the dispute lies an IAEA resolution passed on June 12 accusing Iran of failing to meet its international nuclear obligations. Tehran has dismissed the resolution as politically motivated, asserting that it merely served as a pretext for the military onslaught by Israel and the U.S. that began just a day later.

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that the recent American strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, experts and Iranian officials alike note that nuclear know-how is not something that can be eliminated through air raids. Iran’s nuclear program, repeatedly accused by the West of harboring military ambitions, has long been a subject of geopolitical contention. Tehran continues to insist that its program is entirely peaceful and within the framework of international law.

The breakdown in trust between Iran and international nuclear bodies now raises new concerns about the future of global non-proliferation efforts. But from Tehran’s perspective, the recent barrage of attacks proves that such frameworks are being manipulated to justify acts of aggression rather than ensure peace.

A temporary ceasefire was declared on June 24 following nearly two weeks of deadly conflict. But analysts suggest that the fundamental tensions, rooted in decades of foreign interference and attempts to curtail Iran’s technological sovereignty, remain unresolved.

By pushing back against the IAEA and rejecting Western double standards, Iran is sending a clear message: its security and scientific independence are not negotiable. As the dust settles, Tehran appears more determined than ever to chart its own course, free from the dictates of foreign powers that continue to disregard international norms under the pretense of safeguarding them.