Iran’s legislative vetting body, the Guardian Council, approved a bill on Thursday to suspend cooperation with the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The decision follows a recent ceasefire that ended a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, during which Israeli and US forces struck Iranian nuclear facilities.
The bill was passed by Iranian lawmakers on Wednesday following rising tensions and criticism of the IAEA for not condemning the attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites.
Iranian officials have also expressed anger over a June 12 IAEA resolution accusing Tehran of failing to comply with its nuclear obligations, which Tehran views as a pretext for the strikes.
Guardian Council spokesman Hadi Tahan Nazif told the official IRNA news agency that the government is now required to halt all cooperation with the IAEA to protect Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He added that the bill would enable Iran to exercise its rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, particularly concerning uranium enrichment.
The bill will next be submitted to President Masoud Pezeshkian for final approval.
Despite this move, Russia—a key ally of Tehran—has urged continued cooperation with the IAEA. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov emphasised the importance of ongoing dialogue to uphold Iran’s repeated assurances that it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated on the social media platform X that Iran cannot cooperate with the watchdog at present until security measures are guaranteed at its nuclear sites.
The recent conflict began on June 13 with a major Israeli bombing campaign targeting Iranian nuclear and military installations, followed by US strikes on facilities at Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz.
A ceasefire between Iran and Israel came into effect on Tuesday.
