Iran Ends Nuclear Inspection Deal

By Amira El-Fekki‎

Middle East News Reporter

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Iran said it has terminated an agreement signed in September with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Cairo that paved the way for renewed cooperation and relaunching inspections of its nuclear facilities.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a formal letter was delivered Thursday to the agency's director general ending the deal. He cited distrust in IAEA’s "credibility and independence," according to a statement by the ministry.

The move comes in response to a new resolution requesting Iran to provide the IAEA with precise information on Iran’s nuclear materials and facilities "without delay," passed by its Board of Governors. The resolution was drafted by the U.S., France, the UK, and Germany.

Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment.

Why It Matters

Since the June attacks, Iran has signaled that it will not continue nuclear cooperation with the IAEA on the previous terms and has increasingly framed its position as a response to what it sees as Western pressure and provocation. This raises fresh concerns about Iran’s nuclear activities, which Western governments warn include near weapons-grade enrichment levels.

Separately, talks with the U.S. have not resumed as Iran continues to condemn the attacks, during which Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, citing them as a major reason for nuclear standoffs.

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What To Know

Araghchi and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi agreed on a protocol offering a pathway to restore inspections in September, supposedly easing tensions over an earlier law signed by the Iranian president suspending cooperation with the U.N. watchdog.

According to Grossi, the Cairo deal was a technical document establishing practical modalities to restart IAEA inspections across Iranian nuclear facilities, including attacked facilities, and to report on nuclear material at those sites.

However, immediately after, Araghchi warned that it was conditional on no hostile action, including the "snapback mechanism" reinstating sanctions on Iran, which took place later in September.

The U.S. and European partners rejected any preconditions for Iranian cooperation and argued that Iran was already in breach of its non-proliferation obligations, issues they say predate the June attacks.

Negotiations With US

The two sides were engaged in nuclear talks before the attacks. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) during his first term.

Iran says it's open for negotiations with the U.S but rejects what it sees as a one-sided agreement as it accuses the U.S. of seeking to impose demands deemed unacceptable with regards to its enrichment program.

Speaking Tuesday at the White House alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump hinted that Washington and Tehran might resume discussions, saying that Tehran wants to make a deal "very badly." The Saudi leader offered to help the two sides reach a deal.

The crown prince received a letter from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian a day before his visit to the White House this week. Iran has reportedly asked Saudi Arabia to persuade the U.S. to revive talks, according to a Reuters report on Thursday.

The report contradicted earlier statements by Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei that the letter was purely about bilateral issues. According to Reuters, Pezeshkian's letter expressed concerns about a renewed attack by Israel and a desire to resolve the nuclear dispute through diplomacy.

The U.S. has imposed a range of economic and financial sanctions on Iran, targeting its nuclear program and energy sector. The latest of those sanctions were issued Thursday by the U.S. Treasury on front companies and shipping agents that it said finance Iran’s armed forces through crude oil sales.

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said the move aims to "cut off funding for the Iranian regime’s development of nuclear weapons and support of terrorist proxies."

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What People Are Saying

The IAEA Board of Governors said in a resolution adopted on November 20: "Iran has failed over the past five months to provide the IAEA with requested information regarding the status of its enriched uranium stockpiles and safeguarded nuclear facilities."

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told The Economist in an interview published on Thursday, regarding negotiations with the U.S.: "We are in favor of a deal but a fair and balanced deal. We are ready for negotiation but not for dictation."

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday: "Iran does want to make a deal. I think they very badly want to make a deal. I am totally open to it, and we're talking to them, and we start a process."