Iran enacts law suspending cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog

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Iran accuses the International Atomic Energy Agency of siding with Western countries and providing a justification for Israel's air strikes

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian put into effect on Wednesday, July 2, a law passed by parliament last week to suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, a move the United States called “unacceptable.”

Iran has accused the IAEA of siding with Western countries and providing a justification for Israel’s air strikes, which began a day after the UN agency’s board voted to declare Iran in violation of obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The law stipulates that any future inspection of Iran’s nuclear sites by the IAEA needs approval by Tehran’s Supreme National Security Council.

“We are aware of these reports. The IAEA is awaiting further official information from Iran,” the IAEA said in a statement.

Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in an interview with CBS News that the US bombing of Iran’s key Fordow nuclear site has “seriously and heavily damaged” the facility.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told a regular briefing Iran must cooperate fully with the UN agency without further delay.

“We’ll use the word unacceptable, that Iran chose to suspend cooperation with the IAEA at a time when it has a window of opportunity to reverse course and choose a path of peace and prosperity,” she said.

She said that prior to successful US strikes Iran was amassing a growing stockpile of highly enriched uranium for which there was no credible peaceful purpose.

She said Iran must fully comply with its NPT obligations, including by providing the IAEA with information on undeclared nuclear material and providing unrestricted access to a newly announced enrichment facility.

“It is worth repeating, as we’ve made tremendous strides to this through Donald Trump’s leadership, Iran cannot and will not have a nuclear weapon. The President has said this repeatedly. The secretary of state has said this repeatedly.” – Rappler.com