IAEA team exits Iran after country halts cooperation with nuclear watchdog

Days after the conflict between Iran and Israel, the United Nations (UN)' nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on Friday said that it has withdrawn a team of its inspectors from Iran who stayed there throughout the conflict.

 

"An IAEA team of inspectors today safely departed from Iran to return to the Agency headquarters in Vienna, after staying in Tehran throughout the recent military conflict," the IAEA said in a post on X.

 

"IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reiterated the crucial importance of the IAEA discussing with Iran modalities for resuming its indispensable monitoring and verification activities in Iran as soon as possible," the agency added. 

 

 

Background

 

The move comes almost 10 days after United States President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire deal between Iran and Israel, labeling it “THE 12 DAY WAR”. The conflict, which began after Israel targeted Iran's nuclear sites on June 13, claimed the lives of 974 Iranians, including 387 civilians. In Israel, 24 people have died and over 1,000 have been injured, according to the Associated Press.

 

It concluded soon after the US launched a large-scale and coordinated airstrike targeting three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities, including those at Fordo.

 

According to Reuters, IAEA inspectors have not been able to inspect Iran's facilities since the beginning of the conflict. Meanwhile, Iran on Wednesday suspended cooperation with the agency until the safety of its nuclear facilities can be guaranteed, the report added.

 

Despite the pause in cooperation, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Thursday said that it is committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and its safeguards agreement, Reuters reported.

 

Talks with US

 

Moreover, amid reports of US-Iran talks, Iran's Ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi, told ANI that any negotiation process with the US is meaningless until Washington provides a "credible guarantee" to prevent future acts of aggression by Israel and the US.

 

"As for negotiations with the United States, considering their betrayal of diplomacy and complicity with the Zionist regime in launching illegal attacks on Iran -- while a diplomatic process was still ongoing -- there will be no meaning or value in any talks unless a credible guarantee is provided to prevent the recurrence of such acts of aggression by the US and Israel in future negotiations," he said.