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Iran鈥檚 President Masoud Pezeshkian has signed a law suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), amid growing tensions between Tehran and the UN nuclear watchdog following Israeli and US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities last month.
鈥淢asoud Pezeshkian promulgated the law suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency,鈥 Iranian state TV reported on Wednesday.
The announcement comes a week after Iran鈥檚 parliament passed legislation to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, citing Israel鈥檚 June 13 surprise attack on Iran and later strikes by the US on Iranian nuclear facilities.
According to the parliament resolution, IAEA inspectors will not be allowed to visit nuclear sites without approval from Iran鈥檚 Supreme National Security Council.
鈥淲e are aware of these reports. The IAEA is awaiting further official information from Iran,鈥 the IAEA said in a statement.
Iran鈥檚 foreign minister earlier this week said IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, whom Iranian officials have sharply criticised for failing to condemn Israeli and US strikes during the conflict and was no longer welcome in the country.
Officials have also criticised Grossi over a June 12 resolution passed by the IAEA board accusing Tehran of non-compliance with its nuclear obligations.
Iranian officials said the resolution was among the 鈥渆xcuses鈥 for the Israeli attacks that began on June 13 and lasted for 12 days.
Iran has also rejected a request from IAEA chief Grossi to visit nuclear facilities bombed during the war.
鈥淕rossi鈥檚 insistence on visiting the bombed sites under the pretext of safeguards is meaningless and possibly even malign in intent,鈥 said Iran鈥檚 Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on X on Monday. 鈥淚ran reserves the right to take any steps in defence of its interests, its people and its sovereignty.鈥
Earlier this week, Pezeshkian decried Grossi鈥檚 鈥渄estructive鈥 conduct, while France, Germany and the United Kingdom have condemned unspecified 鈥渢hreats鈥 made against the IAEA chief.
Iran鈥檚 ultra-conservative Kayhan newspaper recently claimed that documents showed Grossi was an Israeli spy and should be executed.
Iran has insisted no threats were posed against Grossi or the agency鈥檚 inspectors.
The 12-day war began when Israel carried out a surprise bombardment of Iranian nuclear facilities and military sites and assassinated several top military commanders and nuclear scientists. Tehran responded with waves of missiles and drones at Israel.
On June 22, Israel鈥檚 ally, the US, launched unprecedented strikes of its own on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz. A ceasefire between Iran and Israel took hold on June 24.
At least 935 people were killed in Israeli attacks on Iran, according to judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir, citing the latest forensic data. The deceased included 132 women and 38 children, Jahangir added.
Iran鈥檚 retaliatory attacks killed 28 people in Israel, according to authorities.
US President Donald Trump said the US attacks had 鈥渙bliterated鈥 Iran鈥檚 nuclear programme, though the extent of the damage was not clear.
Araghchi has admitted that 鈥渟erious鈥 damage has been inflicted on nuclear sites.
But in a recent interview with US media outlet CBS Evening News, he said: 鈥淥ne cannot obliterate the technology and science鈥 through bombings.鈥
Israel and some Western countries say Iran has sought nuclear weapons 鈥 an ambition Tehran has consistently denied.