---
title: "Iran enacts law suspending cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog"
description: "July 2 (Reuters) - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian put into effect on Wednesday a law passed by parliament last week to suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, Iranian state media reported."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-07-02-iran-enacts-law-suspending-cooperation-with-un-nuclear-watchdog/"
published: "2025-07-02T13:00:59"
updated: "2025-07-02T13:01:01"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 141
---

# Iran enacts law suspending cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog

> July 2 (Reuters) - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian put into effect on Wednesday a law passed by parliament last week to suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, Iranian state media reported.

By Reuters · Published 2 July 2025, 15:00 SAST · Updated 2 July 2025, 15:01 SAST

## Key points
- In a dramatic twist worthy of a geopolitical soap opera, Iran threatens to cut ties with the IAEA, claiming it's become a cheerleader for Western airstrikes, while simultaneously lamenting the "serious and heavy" damage inflicted on its Fordow nuclear site by U.S. bombs.
- Iran threatens to cease cooperation with the IAEA, accusing it of bias towards Western nations.
- The IAEA's recent vote declared Iran in violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
- Future inspections of Iran's nuclear sites will require approval from the Supreme National Security Council.
- Iranian officials claim U.S. airstrikes have significantly damaged the Fordow nuclear facility.

## Content

Iran has threatened to halt cooperation with the IAEA, accusing it of siding with Western countries and providing a justification for Israel's air strikes, which began a day after the IAEA board [voted](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AS8N3GH0FY&linkedFromStory=true) to declare Iran in violation of obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The law stipulates that any future inspection of Iran's nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency needs approval by Tehran's Supreme National Security Council.

"We are aware of these reports. The IAEA is awaiting further official information from Iran," the IAEA said in a statement.

Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in an interview with [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/video/iran-foreign-minister-claims-us-strikes-heavily-seriously-damaged-nuclear-sites/) that the U.S. [bombing](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N3SP08N&linkedFromStory=true) of Iran's key Fordow nuclear site has "seriously and heavily damaged" the facility.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom, additional reporting by Francois Murphy in Vienna; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Alex Richardson and Ros Russell)