Iran shifts oversight of nuclear agency ties to top security council

BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 12.​ Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will now be overseen by the Supreme National Security Council, Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi said during a meeting with foreign diplomats in Tehran, Trend reports.

According to Araghchi, the Iranian parliament has passed legislation formalizing this change. Under the new law, any IAEA requests to continue inspections or maintain oversight within Iran will be reviewed by the Council, with decisions made based on national security considerations.

"Iran has not halted cooperation with the IAEA. Rather, this cooperation will continue in a new format, which is entirely natural," Araghchi said.

He reaffirmed that Iran’s nuclear program remains peaceful in nature.

"Iran’s nuclear activities have always been for peaceful purposes and will remain so. Iran is a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and will continue to honor its commitments under the safeguards agreement with the IAEA," he noted.

In March 2023, an agreement was reached between Iran and the IAEA, and a statement was issued. Under the agreement, Iran's cooperation with the IAEA is aligned with the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and safeguards, and both sides are expected to collaborate on the claims regarding the existence of enriched uranium in Iran's nuclear program.

On July 2, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian decided to enact a law on the termination of cooperation with the IAEA. According to the law adopted by the Iranian parliament, inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency are not allowed to enter the country to conduct inspections. The agency's inspectors may be allowed to enter the country only if Iran's Supreme National Security Council confirms that the safety of nuclear activities and peaceful nuclear centers in the country is guaranteed.

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