On July 3, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian commanded a halt to the nation’s collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), following strikes on three pivotal Iranian nuclear sites by U.S. forces while Israel orchestrated aviation combat with Iran. The upcoming discussions between Iran and the IAEA were predicted to be complex and technically oriented, as per Iran’s Foreign Ministry, before the IAEA’s visit; the first since Tehran severed its connection with the organization the previous month.
The relationship between Iran and the IAEA deteriorated following a series of aerial assaults lead by Israel and the U.S. in June, causing serious damage to integral Iranian nuclear sites. Consequently, the IAEA board declared on June 12 that Iran was in violation of its non-proliferation commitments, a proclamation that came just a day before Israel commenced its aerial assault over Iran, leading to the escalation of conflict.
There was no immediate commentary from the IAEA regarding the visit by the entity’s deputy chief. Notably, this visit did not encompass any preplanned access to various Iranian nuclear sites. Esmail Baghaei, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, stated that the potential interaction with Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi was yet to be forecasted, given the technical and complex nature of these conversations.
Baghaei cast a critical spotlight on the IAEA’s ‘exceptional circumstances’ amid the June conflict with Israel. He stated that the organization failed to show a sensible and measured reaction, despite witnessing peaceful facilities undergoing continuous monitoring being struck. There was also a lack of condemnation for these attacks as per Baghaei’s observation.
Earlier, Aragchi noted that potential cooperation with the IAEA, now subject to the approval of Iran’s top security establishment, the Supreme National Security Council, would focus on revisiting the collaboration dynamics between both parties. This move, however, could further hinder inspection capabilities, leading to limited tracking of Tehran’s uranium-enrichment program that is inching towards producing uranium of weapon-grade potency.
The directive issued by President Masoud Pezeshkian on July 3 to cease collaboration with the IAEA came after the devastating aerial attacks on three crucial Iranian nuclear sites, during Israel’s ongoing air conflict with Iran. These strikes resulted in nearly 1,100 casualties, including multiple military personnel.
In retaliatory measures, Iranian assaults led to 28 fatalities on Israeli soil. Although Iran has occasionally permitted limited inspections by IAEA as part of its negotiation strategies with Western nations, it remains uncertain when the dialogues between Tehran and Washington concerning a nuclear program deal will recommence.
According to assessments by U.S. intelligence agencies and IAEA, the last time Iran ran an organized nuclear weapons program was in 2003. However, there have been recent reports of Tehran enriching uranium to 60% concentration, an advancement that sits just a short technical leap away from reaching weapon-grade levels of 90%.
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