Description: President Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirmed the decision brought by the Iranian Parliament regarding the suspension of cooperation with the IAEA. Pezeshkian stated that according to the new legislature, Iran would prohibit access to IAEA inspectors to any of its nuclear enrichment sites in the future, following the IAEA’s overtures which found Iran in non-compliance of its nuclear obligations. The resolution from the IAEA, voted by its 35 Board of Governors, prompted the joint Israeli – US attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites and plunged the region into an abrupt crisis which could have had devastating repercussions, Pezeshkian added. Official spokespeople for the IAEA stated that they were aware of Iran’s decision to suspend cooperation and were awaiting for further details. The decision was strenuously objected by EU countries and the US, which have implored Iran to reconfigure its approach towards the recent decision and engage in active diplomatic resolution to the crisis.
Impact: Iran’s exit from the IAEA although largely expected, poses a significant risk towards international oversight in the country’s nuclear enrichment capabilities, which before the 12 – day war were estimated to have reached weapons grade levels. Iran, even though seriously defeated, is faced with a decision which could inflict multi – layered consequences on its future nuclear ambitions. Conflicting reports continue to emerge, as the Pentagon’s latest assessment positioned Iran’s nuclear capabilities to have been backtracked by almost 2 years, while Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi refrained from precisely pinpointing a timeframe, stating the sites were severely damaged. Suspending cooperation with the IAEA is Iran’s political and diplomatic response to the imposed war on the country and the growing pressure towards Iran to engage in immediate negotiation efforts. The intelligence penetrations by Israel during the 12 – day war indicate that despite the lack of international oversight, substantial information on Iran’s nuclear capabilities has been gathered, which downplays Iran’s move as a low – scale political response, however, the suspension of cooperation might escalate tensions in the mid – term, as the US ceasefire still clings over an unofficial agreement.