Iran Halts Nuclear Talks With UN Watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency

Iranian lawmakers on Wednesday voted to suspend the country’s cooperation with the IAEA, a United Nations' nuclear watchdog, AFP reported. 

“The International Atomic Energy Agency, which refused to even marginally condemn the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, put its international credibility up for auction,” Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said according to state TV, reported AFP. 

According to AFP, Ghalibaf added that “the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran will suspend its cooperation with the IAEA until the security of the nuclear facilities is guaranteed.” 

On June 24, the Iranian Parliament had passed the Bill that would suspend ties with the IAEA, the Anadolu Ajansi (AA) had reported. The Iranian Parliament had said it would require full security guarantee of Iranian nuclear sites by IAEA before resuming relations, reported AA.

The Iranian National Security Committee had passed a draft to suspend all ties with the IAEA until the security of nuclear facilities is ensured by the UN nuclear watchdog, AA had reported on Tuesday. 

“Iran has no plans for non-peaceful activities, but the world witnessed clearly that the IAEA has not honoured any of its commitments and has turned into a political tool,” Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf had said according to to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

The middle east conflict escalated when on June 13, Israel launched airstrikes on several sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged that Tehran was on the verge of producing a nuclear bomb, a claim Iran denies and one that the IAEA had debunked earlier. 

A day later, Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes, and on Sunday, the US joined the conflict by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites.

On June 24, the US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran urging both sides to not break it.