IAEA Inspection Team Leaves Iran
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated in a social media post on X that its inspection team has left Iran. According to webangah News Agency, the IAEA’s message confirmed: “The IAEA inspection team, after staying in Tehran during recent military tensions, safely departed Iran today to return to the agency’s headquarters in Vienna.”
The announcement follows a Wall Street Journal exclusive report claiming the IAEA began withdrawing inspectors after Tehran suspended cooperation with the nuclear watchdog. The report suggested this move occurred amid security concerns, with inspectors returning to Vienna.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, without addressing the agency’s role in a recent report that preceded both a Board of Governors resolution against Iran and subsequent military actions by Israel and the U.S., called the next “critical” step negotiations with Iran to allow inspectors’ return for “essential monitoring and verification of Iran’s nuclear program.”
The IAEA had previously claimed in a June 10 confidential report that Iran accumulated 408.6 kg of uranium enriched to 60% purity as of May 17-a 133.8 kg increase since its February report-while urging Tehran’s full cooperation. The report emerged during sensitive nuclear negotiations between Iran and Washington.
A subsequent Board of Governors resolution against Iran preceded Israeli-American military actions. Grossi later denied his report directly caused these attacks, despite having asserted it showed no evidence of Iranian nuclear weapons pursuit days after they occurred.
On June 25, Iran’s parliament voted 210-2 (with two abstentions) among 219 present members to approve suspending cooperation with the IAEA following National Security Committee recommendations. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf officially notified relevant agencies on July 2 regarding implementation.
