CNN
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Iranian President Masuud Pezeshkian has approved a law that will halt cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The decision on Wednesday comes a week after Iranian parliament passed a law suspending cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog. Iran is denounced the IAEA for working with Israel to provide a route for strikes at nuclear facilities.
Pezeshkian has ordered Iran’s atomic energy agency, the Supreme National Security Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to begin implementing the law, the state-run communications agency IRNA said.
It is unclear when and how the new law will be implemented, but the decision could open up a way for Iran to rebuild its nuclear program without testing or surveillance from the IAEA. Iran is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and has requested members to allow monitoring and inspection of the facility to be confirmed to confirm the peaceful nature of the facility.
“We are aware of these reports. The IAEA is waiting for more official information from Iran,” an IAEA spokesperson told CNN.
Germany said Pezeschkian’s move would send a “disastrous signal.” “It is essential for Iran to work with the IAEA for a diplomatic solution,” German Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Guyes told reporters.
UN Secretary-General spokesman Stephane Dujarric called Iran’s decision “concerns” at a press conference on Wednesday. He reiterated that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Iran to cooperate with the IAEA.
Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Iran last month. It targeted military commanders, nuclear facilities and scientists developing their atomic programs. In the following weeks, the US launched a supportive strike at Iran’s nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan and Fordau. The 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran ended with a ceasefire last week.
Iran said its facility has been severely damaged by the attack, but it intends to continue enriching uranium to continue its “peaceful” nuclear program. On Sunday, the IAEA said the US strike against Iran caused complete damage to the program, failing Tehran to resume enriched uranium “in a few months.”
A few days before Israel attacked Iran’s facilities, the IAEA said it could not confirm that Tehran’s nuclear program was completely peaceful and issued a report that Iran is enriching uranium to arms-grade levels.
The document sparked an IAEA resolution, censoring Iran and promoting the iranian government’s rage, accusing the agency and its director, Rafael Grossi of bias.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei has repeatedly denied Iran’s construction of bombs and says weapons of mass destruction are banned under Islam. The country began to enrich uranium to a higher level after the US president pulled out in 2018 from a nuclear agreement signed between the Obama administration and Iran.
