Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi has announced that Iran will reconsider the nuclear agreement it signed with the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), 55 years ago. He clarified Tehran’s stance in an interview with Qatar-based media outlet Al Araby Al Jadeed.In the interview, Araghchi said:> “The attack on our nuclear facilities has had serious and far-reaching consequences, which will inevitably affect Tehran’s future actions. We are a partner to the United Nations’ Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), but it is time to reconsider whether this partnership will continue—and we will do so.”Iran signed the NPT agreement with the IAEA in 1970. At that time, the current Islamic regime was not in power. Iran was then ruled by its last monarch, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.Through the NPT agreement with the IAEA, Iran had pledged never to develop nuclear weapons and to fully cooperate with the IAEA.On 6 June, the IAEA stated that Iran had stockpiled enriched uranium at levels sufficient to easily produce a nuclear bomb. Just one week later, on the night of 13 June, Israel launched an airstrike operation named “The Rising Lion” targeting Iran. Shortly after the strike began, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement that the operation was initiated in response to the IAEA’s assessment.On 16 June, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said in a briefing:> “It was the IAEA that paved the way for Israel’s attack on Iran.”On Wednesday, Iran’s Parliament (Majlis) passed a bill in which the majority of members agreed to suspend cooperation with the IAEA.However, the bill is not final. In Iran, decisions involving national interest rest with the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and he has not yet made any declaration on the matter.
