Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a law suspending his country’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog, state media outlet Tasnim has reported. Iran’s parliament had voted to suspend cooperation previously.
“We are aware of these reports,” an IAEA spokesman told Newsweek. “The IAEA is awaiting further official information from Iran.”
Iran could use the suspension of IAEA cooperation as leverage in future negotiations on its nuclear program, though no talks are currently due after Tehran rejected President Donald Trump’s offer to restart diplomacy immediately on the issue.
The Iranian foreign ministry had earlier warned that it was unrealistic for the IAEA to expect a return to normal cooperation so soon after the strikes by the U.S. and Israel, and that it could not guarantee the safety and security of nuclear inspectors.
