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IAEA inspectors depart Tehran after US-Israel-Iran conflict
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Saturday July 5, 2025
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria [File: Michael Gruber/AP]
A team of inspectors from the United Nations鈥 nuclear watchdog have left Iran, following Tehran鈥檚 decision to suspend cooperation with the organisation after the 12-day conflict with Israel and the United States.
In a statement posted on X on Friday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said its employees would return to its headquarters in Vienna, Austria.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi stressed 鈥渢he crucial importance鈥 of holding talks with Iran to resume its monitoring and verification work as soon as possible, the post added.
Al Jazeera鈥檚 Resul Serdar, reporting from Tehran, said it was not clear what proportion of the IAEA staff left the country.
鈥淏ased on the language used, it is not clear if all or some of them left Iran, but we understand that some of them are still here,鈥 he said.
鈥淲hat we know is that they did not fly out; this departure happened through land into Armenia yesterday or the day before,鈥 he added.
鈥淎nd then they went to Vienna,鈥 Serdar said, adding that the development has started an era of 鈥渘uclear ambiguity鈥 in Iran.
The inspectors stayed in the Iranian capital throughout the recent fighting, which started on June 13 when Israel attacked Iranian military sites and killed a number of the country鈥檚 most senior commanders, top scientists, and civilians.
The US later became involved in the conflict, dropping bunker-buster bombs on nuclear facilities in Iran, in a mission the Trump administration claimed had significantly set back the country鈥檚 nuclear programme.
Distrust of IAEA
In the aftermath of the US and Israeli aerial attacks, Iran, which has said it is still committed to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), made painfully clear its burgeoning distrust of the IAEA.
Since the start of the conflict, Iranian officials have sharply criticised the IAEA not only for failing to condemn the Israeli and US strikes, but also for passing a resolution on June 12 accusing Tehran of non-compliance with its nuclear obligations, the day before Israel attacked.
On Wednesday, Iran鈥檚 President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered the country to cut ties with the nuclear watchdog. A bill to suspend cooperation had already been passed in the Iranian parliament and approved by the country鈥檚 Guardian Council.
Guardian Council spokesperson Hadi Tahan Nazif said the decision had been taken for the 鈥渇ull respect for the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran鈥.
The bill itself says the suspension 鈥渨ill remain in effect until certain conditions are met, including the guaranteed security of nuclear facilities and scientists鈥, according to Iranian state television.
On Monday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi summarily dismissed Grossi鈥檚 request to visit nuclear facilities bombed by Israel and the US.
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 Araghchi said, adding that 鈥淚ran reserves the right to take any steps in defence of its interests, its people and its sovereignty.鈥
The US Department of State spokesperson Tammy Bruce called Iran鈥檚 decision to suspend cooperation with the IAEA 鈥渦nacceptable鈥, urging Tehran 鈥渢o reverse course and choose a path of peace and prosperity鈥.
鈥淚ran cannot and will not have a nuclear weapon,鈥 she reiterated.
Tehran denies wanting to produce a nuclear bomb, reiterating for years that its nuclear programme is for civilian use only. Neither US intelligence nor Grossi said they had found any proof Tehran was building a nuclear weapon.
Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies
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