Iran votes to suspend cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog

The Iranian Parliament voted on Wednesday to suspend all cooperation with the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 

The bill, passed by a majority of lawmakers, now awaits final approval from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

The move comes just days after the United States launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, entering the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. 

Tehran has accused the IAEA of failing to protect its nuclear infrastructure and of maintaining silence in the face of what it describes as blatant acts of aggression.

“The IAEA, which refused to even marginally condemn the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, has put its international credibility up for auction,” said Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf during Wednesday’s session, according to Iranian state television.

Ghalibaf added that Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization would cease all cooperation with the IAEA “until the security of the nuclear facilities is guaranteed.”

The legislation is the latest in a series of steps reflecting Iran’s growing frustration with international bodies and Western governments. Earlier this week, the Iranian National Security Committee also advanced a draft to sever ties with the IAEA, citing the agency’s “politicized role” and “failure to uphold its commitments.”

“Iran has no plans for non-peaceful nuclear activities,” Ghalibaf said, “but the world has witnessed that the IAEA has turned into a political tool instead of a neutral inspectorate.”

The IAEA has not yet responded to the Iranian Parliament’s vote.

If the Supreme National Security Council ratifies the bill, Iran could significantly curtail or block international inspections of its nuclear facilities—a move that would further isolate the Islamic Republic and strain efforts to revive diplomacy.

Western powers, already concerned by Tehran’s trajectory, warn that suspending cooperation with the IAEA may trigger new sanctions or even military responses.

As the region braces for potential fallout, Iran’s decision signals a deepening rift between Tehran and the international community at a time when diplomatic efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation are at a crossroads.