Iran scraps cooperation agreement with IAEA

DUBAI: Iran has announced that it is scrapping a cooperation deal signed with the UN nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in September, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani confirmed on Monday.

According to state media, the decision comes nearly three weeks after Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned that Tehran would end the agreement if Western powers reinstated United Nations sanctions — a move implemented last month.

The development marks a setback for the UN nuclear watchdog, which had been seeking to restore cooperation with Tehran following Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June.

“The agreement has been cancelled,” Larijani said during a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart in Tehran. “Of course, if the agency has a proposal, we will review it in the secretariat,” he added.

Earlier, the IAEA reported that Iran had increased its stockpile of highly enriched uranium shortly before the 12-day war with Israel erupted.

The agency’s quarterly report stated that Iran possessed an estimated 440.9 kilogrammes of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent as of June 13 — an increase of 32.3 kilogrammes since May 17.

In June, Iran’s legislative vetting body approved a bill suspending cooperation with the IAEA, citing recent US and Israeli attacks.

The law, later endorsed by the Foreign Minister, made the suspension “binding,” further straining relations between Tehran and the UN agency.

In June, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a “historic victory” against Iran but a US intelligence report concluded that American strikes set back Tehran’s nuclear programme by just a few months.

Iran and Israel agreed a ceasefire ending 12 days of tit-for-tat strikes, after US President Donald Trump joined the conflict with bunker-busting bombs at the weekend that he said destroyed key Iranian nuclear sites.