Nuclear Tensions
The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has officially withdrawn its remaining inspectors from Iran, signaling a serious deterioration in the already strained relationship between Tehran and the agency. This move comes amid a deepening standoff triggered by the recent 12-day military conflict involving U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
The IAEA announced on Friday that its final team of inspectors had departed Iran and safely returned to the agency’s headquarters in Vienna. According to the IAEA’s official statement on social media platform X, the inspectors had remained in Tehran throughout the recent military confrontation but have now left as the situation becomes increasingly uncertain.
This withdrawal follows a law passed by Iran’s parliament mandating the suspension of cooperation with the IAEA until the safety of its nuclear sites can be ensured. While Iran has not formally notified the IAEA of a suspension in cooperation, the implications are already being felt.
Diplomatic sources have confirmed that since the outbreak of hostilities on June 13, the number of inspectors in Iran had already been reduced significantly, with only a handful remaining until their recent exit.
The tension has been exacerbated by Iran’s accusations that the IAEA indirectly enabled the bombings through a report published on May 31. That report, which criticized Iran’s compliance with its nuclear non-proliferation obligations, was followed by a resolution from the IAEA’s 35-member Board of Governors formally declaring Tehran in breach. Iranian officials and state media have since criticized the IAEA sharply, casting doubt on the agency’s neutrality.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has stood by the report, dismissing accusations that it served as a pretext for military strikes. Grossi emphasized the urgency of re-establishing monitoring and verification in Iran, calling it an indispensable element of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, while defending his country’s position, affirmed Iran’s commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). However, the situation remains opaque.
The strikes reportedly damaged or destroyed three key uranium enrichment facilities, but questions linger over the whereabouts and status of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles, including over 400 kilograms enriched to 60% purity — just a technical step away from weapons-grade material.
This stockpile, according to IAEA estimates, is sufficient to produce up to nine nuclear weapons if further enriched. Iran continues to insist that its nuclear program is purely peaceful, but the absence of international oversight has raised concerns among Western powers.
The IAEA, which enforces the NPT and ensures that countries account for their nuclear materials, now finds itself sidelined in Iran. Grossi recently stressed that the suspension of inspections cannot be allowed to continue. “We cannot afford that the inspection regime is interrupted,” he warned at a press conference in Vienna, urging both sides to return to dialogue.
As the geopolitical fallout of the strikes continues to unfold, the removal of IAEA personnel from Iran signals a growing risk to nuclear transparency in the region and further complicates efforts to contain proliferation.
