Iran’s suspension of IAEA cooperation draws sharp warning from Germany

Germany has urged Iran to immediately reverse its decision to halt cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), emphasising the critical role such collaboration plays in achieving a diplomatic resolution.

Martin Giese, spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry, made the appeal during a briefing, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Giese stressed that Iran's suspension of cooperation would send a damaging message, effectively removing international oversight of Tehran’s nuclear activities. “Iran must allow the IAEA to monitor its nuclear program,” he said, calling once again for Iran to revoke its decision without delay.

On July 2, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed into law the suspension of Tehran’s cooperation with the IAEA, making the measure binding and effective immediately.

Iran’s nuclear program has a complex history spanning several decades. After ratifying the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in 1970 and signing a safeguards agreement with the IAEA in 1974, Iran initially halted its nuclear activities following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. However, the program resumed in the following decades.

In the 1990s, Iran faced accusations of pursuing nuclear weapons. The IAEA uncovered undeclared uranium enrichment in 2003, which Iran acknowledged. Subsequently, Iran signed an additional protocol to the NPT and temporarily suspended enrichment under IAEA guidance but resumed these activities in 2005. This led to allegations of non-cooperation and the imposition of international sanctions by 2006.

Diplomatic efforts culminated in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), where Iran agreed to curtail uranium enrichment in return for sanctions relief. The U.S. withdrawal from the agreement in 2018 prompted Iran to restart nuclear development a year later.

Since 2021, Iran has progressively restricted IAEA access to nuclear sites and enriched uranium closer to weapons-grade levels. Though talks between the U.S. and Iran aimed at reviving the JCPOA took place before the recent escalation, they ultimately did not succeed.

By Tamilla Hasanova