- UN nuclear inspectors left Tehran after Iran suspended cooperation with the IAEA, following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on its nuclear facilities. This raises fears of unchecked uranium enrichment.
- Some inspectors exited via Armenia, while others may remain. Their departure signals reduced transparency as Iran's president ordered cutting ties with the IAEA, ending years of strict monitoring.
- Iran's nuclear program, previously curbed by the 2015 deal, resumed after the U.S. withdrew in 2018. Experts warn that without inspectors, enrichment could accelerate undetected (though satellite monitoring remains).
- Officials insist uranium enrichment is a legal right under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, denying militarization but refusing to disclose details about relocated uranium stockpiles post-airstrikes.
- The U.S. condemns Iran's IAEA suspension as "unacceptable," while Iran's parliament halts inspections until facilities are secured. Foreign Minister rejected an IAEA visit, accusing the agency of "malign intent," heightening global tensions.
The long-simmering tensions between Iran and the international community erupted into a full-blown crisis this week as United Nations nuclear inspectors packed their bags and departed Tehran, marking a dramatic shift in global efforts to monitor the nation’s atomic program.
The mass exodus follows Iran's suspension of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the wake of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes targeting its nuclear facilities last month. The departure of the inspectors have raised fears that the Islamic republic may now accelerate its uranium enrichment efforts, unchecked by international oversight.
According to a statement from the IAEA posted on X Friday, July 4, some of the IAEA inspectors are returning to the agency's headquarters in Vienna. Resul Serdar, Al Jazeera's Tehran correspondent, added that they reportedly traveled by land to Armenia before heading to Austria. However, he mentioned that some may still remain in the country.
The inspectors had been confined to hotels after the June 13 Israeli attack and subsequent U.S. bombing. According to Serdar, their departure signals a new era of "nuclear ambiguity" in Iran. It follows Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ordering the Islamic republic to cut ties with the IAEA. (Related: Iran bans IAEA inspectors, shuts down surveillance in nuclear standoff with West.)
Tehran has been under strict IAEA surveillance since its controversial nuclear program first raised suspicions in the early 2000s. The 2015 Iran nuclear deal temporarily curbed enrichment, but when U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the accord in 2018 during his first term, the Islamic republic resumed advancing its nuclear capabilities.
Now, with inspectors gone, experts warn Iran could accelerate enrichment without detection. But IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi nevertheless maintains that satellite monitoring will partially fill the void left by boots on the ground.
Tehran insists on its right to enrich uranium
Meanwhile, Iranian officials insist their program remains peaceful. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told NBC News in an interview Thursday, July 3, that Tehran reserves the right to enrich uranium under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
"Our policy has not changed on enrichment; Iran has every right to do enrichment within its territory. The only thing that we have to observe is not to go for militarization," he said. According to Takht-Ravanchi, Iran is "ready to engage with others to talk about the scope, the level [and] the capacity of our enrichment program."
When asked about whether Iran's uranium stockpile had been relocated prior to airstrikes by Washington and Tel Aviv, the deputy foreign minister refused to comment on the matter. "I do not know where those materials are, and I will stop at that," he said.
Tammy Bruce, spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of State, blasted Tehran's decision to suspend cooperation with the IAEA as "unacceptable." Yet the Islamic republic shows no signs of backing down.
The Iranian Majlis (the country's parliament) has passed a bill suspending inspections until the country's nuclear facilities can be fully secured. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi bluntly dismissed Grossi's request to visit bomb-damaged sites, accusing the IAEA of possible "malign intent." As the world watches, Iran's nuclear ambitions and the West's response stand at a dangerous crossroads.
Watch Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warning that Israel won't be able to attack the Islamic republic in this interview.
This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.
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