Tehran: Iran has announced it will significantly scale back its cooperation with the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in the wake of Israeli attacks on its nuclear facilities. The decision marks a dramatic turn in the already tense standoff between Tehran and the West, with Iranian officials accusing the agency of remaining silent in the face of what they call unlawful aggression on peaceful infrastructure.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi delivered the warning on Saturday, stating that it “makes no sense” for Iran to continue engaging transparently with an agency that failed to condemn or even acknowledge the Israeli strikes. “Iran will no longer cooperate with the agency… as it once did,” he said firmly, stressing that Tehran will now withhold information about certain “special measures” it intends to implement across its nuclear program.
The decision follows Israeli airstrikes earlier this week that targeted facilities in Iran allegedly linked to its nuclear development program. Israel maintains that such attacks are necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, but Tehran has long insisted that its nuclear activities are purely civilian in nature. The Israeli assault set parts of the Shahran oil and nuclear complex ablaze and killed dozens, deepening Iran’s resentment toward both Israel and what it sees as an enabling silence from international institutions.
Iran's move to cut off IAEA access not only raises the stakes in its ongoing conflict with Israel but also sends shockwaves through international diplomatic efforts aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal. The agency had been one of the few remaining technical bridges between Iran and the global community, offering a degree of oversight and communication that helped prevent misunderstandings from turning into military escalations.
With nuclear diplomacy now hanging by a thread, and Iran’s retaliation against Israel already underway, this latest development signals a darker, more volatile phase in the crisis. As global powers scramble to respond, Iran's hardening stance against external oversight could reshape not only its nuclear future, but also the broader security landscape of the Middle East.
