Iran Moves To Curb IAEA Cooperation After UN Sanctions Relief Bid Fails
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Saturday in Tehran that it will “effectively” halt cooperation with the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog after the UN Security Council declined to continue sanctions relief tied to the 2015 nuclear deal. The decision, taken at a meeting chaired by President Masoud Pezeshkian, directs the Foreign Ministry to carry the policy forward as Iran responds to steps by France, the UK, and Germany to restore UN penalties under the agreement’s snapback clause.
In its statement, the council accused the European trio—known as the E3—of “ill-considered” actions on Iran’s nuclear file and said coordination with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would be pared back. The move follows the Security Council’s failure on Friday to adopt a measure that would keep sanctions relief in place; the E3 activated snapback last month, a process that automatically reimposes UN sanctions within 30 days if a party is found in breach.
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The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was struck in 2015 between Iran and six powers—the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany—to cap enrichment levels, shrink stockpiles, and allow intrusive inspections in exchange for sanctions relief. Washington exited the pact in 2018 under President Donald Trump, after which Tehran expanded enrichment, installed advanced centrifuges, and limited inspector access and monitoring—steps documented in IAEA reports. Efforts to revive the deal have seesawed for years without a durable framework.
Suspending practical cooperation with the IAEA raises the risk of deeper transparency gaps and fewer inspections at a time of already strained regional security. With snapback expected to take legal effect later this month, Tehran and European capitals appear set for a new round of confrontation over compliance, access, and the future of the JCPOA architecture.
