Iran’s parliament approves a powerful bill suspending cooperation with the IAEA, following airstrikes and a critical resolution. Inspectors may lose access to nuclear sites, risking future diplomacy and escalating global tensions.
In a bold move that has raised alarms across the international community, Iran’s parliament (Majlis) has passed a sweeping bill to suspend its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), marking a significant escalation in the country’s standoff with the West. The decision, announced days after airstrikes by Israel and the United States targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, comes as Iran accuses the IAEA of politically motivated actions and failure to defend its neutrality.
The bill, passed overwhelmingly by lawmakers, aims to immediately curtail the access of IAEA inspectors to Iran’s nuclear facilities. The legislation stipulates that inspectors will only be allowed into the country if Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and peaceful activities are protected and if such access is approved by the Supreme National Security Council. Until then, surveillance footage, inspection reports, and all on-site monitoring activities will be suspended.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf did not mince words, stating, “The International Atomic Energy Agency has auctioned off its credibility by refusing to condemn the airstrikes on our nuclear facilities.” He further emphasized that the Islamic Republic would not permit any foreign entity to interfere with its sovereign rights, particularly on matters as critical as national energy security.
This legislative development follows the recent IAEA resolution that formally censured Iran for failing to provide credible explanations about traces of uranium found at undeclared sites. The resolution, backed by 19 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, accused Iran of ongoing non-compliance with its nuclear obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Tehran has dismissed the resolution as politically biased and lacking scientific grounding.
The timing of the bill’s approval is significant. It follows closely on the heels of precision airstrikes that hit nuclear sites in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow. While Iran downplayed the extent of the damage, claiming its uranium stockpiles and sensitive equipment had been relocated beforehand, the symbolic impact was considerable. Iranian leaders have interpreted the strikes as an act of war and have held the U.S. and Israel jointly responsible for violating international law by targeting a NPT signatory’s civilian nuclear infrastructure.
According to critics, Iran’s move to block IAEA oversight could severely damage future nuclear diplomacy. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which once curbed Iran’s enrichment levels in exchange for sanctions relief, is already dormant. With this latest development, chances of reviving talks are dwindling. Western powers, particularly the U.S. and EU nations, have warned that Iran risks fresh economic sanctions and could provoke potential military consequences if it moves further away from compliance.
Experts say the suspension of IAEA access marks a turning point in Iran’s nuclear policy. Without real-time data and transparent monitoring, the global community loses its main tool to verify the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program. This lack of oversight could feed speculation that Iran is accelerating its capability to build nuclear weapons—an accusation Tehran strongly denies.
Iran insists its program remains peaceful and legal under international law, but the absence of verification mechanisms may now tilt global opinion further against the Islamic Republic. Diplomats fear the standoff could spill into a larger regional conflict, especially as Iran has threatened to retaliate militarily, including by potentially closing the Strait of Hormuz—a critical waterway for global oil shipments.
The bill must now be ratified by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council to become law. If passed, it will strip the IAEA of its ability to monitor Iran’s enrichment activities, dramatically escalating an already volatile crisis.
This development underscores how fragile global nuclear governance has become and illustrates the widening rift between Iran and the Western-led international order. As the dust settles, one thing is clear: the world has entered a far more dangerous phase of the Iranian nuclear saga.
