Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday signed into law a bill passed by parliament last week to suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) — a move the United States has described as "unacceptable".
Tehran has accused the IAEA of siding with Western powers and providing justification for Israeli airstrikes, which began a day after the agency's board of governors passed a resolution accusing Iran of breaching its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
According to the new legislation, any future inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities by the IAEA must receive prior approval from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
In response, the IAEA released a statement saying it is aware of the reports and is awaiting further official clarification from Iran.
Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told CBS News that the recent U.S. strike on the Fordow nuclear facility caused “serious and extensive damage” to the site.
Commenting on the situation, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce urged Tehran to resume full cooperation with the IAEA without further delay.
"It is unacceptable that Iran has chosen to suspend cooperation with the IAEA at a time when it still has an opportunity to reverse course and pursue a path of peace and prosperity," Bruce told reporters during a regular briefing.
She noted that prior to the successful U.S. strikes, Iran had been amassing a stockpile of highly enriched uranium with no credible peaceful purpose.
Bruce stressed that Iran must fully comply with its obligations under the NPT, including by providing the IAEA with information on undeclared nuclear material and granting unrestricted access to the newly announced enrichment facility.
“It bears repeating: under the leadership of Donald Trump, we have made significant progress on this issue. Iran cannot and will not obtain a nuclear weapon. The President has said this repeatedly, as has the Secretary of State,” she concluded.
However, Tehran has always denied pursuing nuclear weapons, maintaining that its nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes, such as energy production.
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Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed to a near standstill over the weekend, with five commodity vessels transiting Saturday and none on Sunday. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Washington must meet Tehran's conditions for shipping to resume.
A wildfire in Croatia driven by strong winds descended on the tourist town of Omis overnight, engulfing houses, forcing about 1,000 people to evacuate to safety and injuring dozens, fire brigade and health officials said on Friday.
U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to make the Strait of Hormuz part of U.S. territory have been mocked by Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, who said the sea passage "cannot be seized by tweet."
Residents of villages in eastern Indonesia hit by a deadly earthquake that killed at least 54 people were awaiting aid on Monday as rescuers prepared to comb through collapsed buildings in search of people trapped beneath the rubble.
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Central Asia has become a major focus for Eurasian transport investment, with $71.7 billion committed to 114 projects, according to the Eurasian Development Bank’s 2026 Transport Observatory.
The European Union is preparing what foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has described as its most far-reaching sanctions package against Russia since the war in Ukraine began.
Weeks after thousands of students protested in New Delhi over alleged failures in India’s examination system, the so-called Cockroach movement is taking its campaign to the grassroots, launching audits of state-run schools.
UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany visited Ukraine for the first time since taking office, meeting Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv on 15 August to discuss protecting the country’s cultural heritage amid continued Russian attacks.
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