Iran's parliament submits law on suspending IAEA cooperation to govt: Speaker

Tehran, June 27 (IANS) Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that a law suspending the country's cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog has been submitted to the government for implementation, following approval by the Constitutional Council.

The move, which halts Iran's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), comes amid heightened regional tensions after recent military exchanges with Israel and the United States, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Today, after the Constitutional Council's approval, the law suspending cooperation with the IAEA was handed over to the administration," Ghalibaf said in a post on social media platform X.

He accused the IAEA of acting as a "guardian of Israel's anti-human interests" and said continued cooperation would be impossible until the security of Iran's nuclear facilities could be guaranteed.

According to ICANA, the parliament's official news agency, the bill was passed in an open session on Wednesday with 221 votes in favor and one abstention.

The legislative move follows a series of escalations that began on June 13, when Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, killing several senior commanders, scientists, and civilians. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Israeli targets.

On Saturday, US airstrikes hit Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. In response, Iran targeted the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday with missiles.

A ceasefire between Iran and Israel took effect on Tuesday, ending 12 days of hostilities.

--IANS

int/rs