Iran says cooperation deal with UN nuclear watchdog is void

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Beirut, Lebanon, 3 June, 2025
Reuters

Iran has cancelled a cooperation agreement it signed with the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in September, the secretary of its Supreme National Security Council said on Monday, according to state media.

The announcement follows remarks made around three weeks ago by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who warned that Tehran would abandon the deal — which allowed the IAEA to resume inspections of its nuclear facilities — if Western powers reinstated UN sanctions. Those sanctions were reimposed last month.

The move marks a setback for the IAEA, which has been seeking to restore cooperation with Tehran since Israel and the United States carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June.

“The agreement has been cancelled,” Ali Larijani said during a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart in Tehran, state media reported.

“Of course, if the agency presents a new proposal, we will consider it within the secretariat,” he added.

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