Iran’s parliament on Wednesday passed legislation that would suspend the government’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and limit its commitment to the nuclear nonproliferation agreement.
According to state-affiliated media Nournews, 221 members of Iran’s parliament voted in favor of the bill. The vote was unanimous, with 221 members out of the total 290-seat Legislature showing up to vote.
The bill still needs approval from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council before it goes into effect. If that happens, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization will suspend all communications with the IAEA, which means inspectors will no longer be allowed to investigate enrichment sites. This would also coincide with a build-up at Iran’s enrichment facilities.
“The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran will suspend its cooperation with the Agency until the security of the nuclear facilities is guaranteed, and move at a faster pace with the country’s peaceful nuclear program,” Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Wednesday.
The vote follows an IAEA resolution earlier this month that found Iran had failed to meet its nonproliferation obligations. Iranian officials said the resolution paved the way for Israel’s preemptive attack on its enrichment facilities on June 13 and has destroyed the IAEA’s credibility in the Islamic Republic.
Iran has long insisted that it is not interested in building nuclear weapons and that its uranium enrichment program is purely for civilian use. However, the IAEA and other watchdogs have found that Iran enriches uranium at a far higher level than what would be necessary for a civilian program.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said Wednesday that returning inspectors to Iran’s enrichment facilities is his “number one priority,” adding that it is especially important in the aftermath of Israel and the U.S.’ devastating strikes in the region.
Mr. Grossi implied that, while the strikes on Iran’s facilities may have been severe, they likely didn’t destroy all of Iran’s enriched uranium.
Indeed, the real impact of the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure remains to be seen. A leaked Defense Intelligence Agency report circulated Tuesday concluded that the combined might of Israel and the U.S. may have only set the Iranian nuclear program back a few months. The report also found that Iran may have moved its enriched uranium stockpile before the strikes.
