Iran Responds to EU Sanctions by Halting IAEA Cooperation

Tehran: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on Sunday that Tehran’s cooperation with the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is “no longer relevant” following the reinstatement of international sanctions by European countries.

Araghchi referred to the Cairo agreement—a deal signed last month to restore monitoring of Iran’s nuclear sites—and said it is now ineffective. This agreement was made after Iran suspended cooperation in June, responding to attacks by Israel and the U.S. on its nuclear and military facilities.

The announcement came shortly after Britain, France, and Germany re-imposed UN sanctions on Iran using a “snapback” mechanism under the 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). These European nations accused Iran of breaking its nuclear commitments, but Iran strongly rejects these claims.

Araghchi said the European countries lost their leverage by using the snapback sanctions and have weakened their role in future negotiations.

Iran also accuses the IAEA of applying double standards by not condemning Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Tehran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and legal under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Some Iranian lawmakers have suggested leaving the NPT due to what they call Western hypocrisy. However, President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran remains committed to the treaty for now.

Araghchi added that Iran’s final decision on working with the IAEA will be announced soon but left open the possibility of diplomacy.

Efforts to restart broader nuclear talks between Iran and the U.S., which began in April, collapsed after Israeli attacks in June. Iran blames the U.S. for sabotaging diplomacy and demands security guarantees before any new talks.