Iran’s Foreign Minister said Wednesday that the country cannot fully sever cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), following the approval of a law requiring high-level security clearance for any future inspections of its nuclear facilities.
اضافة اعلان
IAEA inspectors have been unable to access Iranian nuclear sites since they were struck by Israel and the United States during a 12-day conflict in June, despite Director General Rafael Grossi emphasizing that inspections remain necessary.
Last month, the Iranian parliament passed legislation suspending cooperation with the IAEA, stipulating that any future inspections must be approved by the Supreme National Security Council in Tehran.
The parliamentary move followed accusations that the IAEA had effectively paved the way for the Israeli–U.S. strikes through a report issued on May 31, which led the Agency’s Board of Governors to declare Iran in violation of its nonproliferation commitments.
Nevertheless, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state media that Tehran “cannot completely cut cooperation with the IAEA… therefore there must be inspectors to carry out this task,” without providing further details.
The remarks come two days after a Foreign Ministry spokesperson indicated that Iran would continue talks with the IAEA, with a new round of negotiations expected soon.
On resuming talks with Washington, Araghchi said negotiations need to “mature.” The sixth round of talks between Tehran and Washington was halted following the Israeli and U.S. strikes in June.
