Iran's suspension of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is unacceptable, US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Wednesday.
Tehran officially suspended its cooperation with the IAEA, a move triggered by the unprecedented Israeli and US strikes on its nuclear facilities over 12 days in June.
"We'll use the word 'unacceptable' that Iran chose to suspend cooperation with the IAEA at a time when it has a window of opportunity to reverse course and choose a path of peace and prosperity," Bruce told a briefing in Washington.
Washington backed Israel's effort to damage Iran's nuclear program by bombing three nuclear sites overnight on June 21-22. Trump has since warned he will order more air strikes if Tehran tries to obtain nuclear weapons.
The Islamic republic has always denied it was seeking to develop an atomic weapon.
Bruce said Iran must cooperate without delay with the IAEA, including by providing "information required to clarify and resolve long-standing questions regarding undeclared nuclear material in Iran, as well as provide unrestricted access to its newly announced enrichment facility."
"Iran cannot and will not have a nuclear weapon," she repeated.
It comes after last month's 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, which saw unprecedented Israeli and US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and sharply escalated tensions between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
On June 25, a day after a ceasefire took hold, Iranian lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to suspend cooperation with the Vienna-based IAEA. State media confirmed on Wednesday the legislation had now taken effect.
The law aims to "ensure full support for the inherent rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran" under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, with a particular focus on uranium enrichment, according to Iranian media.
Washington, which has been pressing Tehran to resume the negotiations that were interrupted by Israel's resort to military action on June 13, said the Iranian decision was "unacceptable."
"We'll use the word 'unacceptable' that Iran chose to suspend cooperation with the IAEA at a time when it has a window of opportunity to reverse course and choose a path of peace and prosperity," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.
The spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres said the decision was "obviously concerning."
"I think the Secretary-General has been very consistent in his call for Iran to cooperate with the IAEA, and, frankly, for all countries to work closely with the IAEA on nuclear issues," Stephane Dujarric said.
While IAEA inspectors have had access to Iran's declared nuclear sites, their current status is uncertain amid the suspension.
On Sunday, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, said the inspectors' work had been suspended but denied any threats against them or IAEA chief Rafael Grossi.
He said the "inspectors are in Iran and are safe," but "their activities have been suspended, and they are not allowed to access our sites."
'Deceptive and Fraudulent'
The law did not specify exact steps following the suspension.
The ISNA news agency cited lawmaker Alireza Salimi as saying the inspectors now needed approval from Iran's Supreme National Security Council to access nuclear sites.
Separately, the Mehr news agency cited lawmaker Hamid Reza Haji Babaei as saying Iran would stop allowing IAEA cameras in nuclear facilities, though it was unclear if this was a requirement of the new law.
After parliament passed the bill, it was approved by the Guardian Council, and President Masoud Pezeshkian formally enacted the suspension on Wednesday, according to state television.
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar urged European signatories of the 2015 nuclear deal to trigger the "snapback" mechanism and reinstate all UN sanctions on Iran.
The snapback, set to expire in October, was part of the nuclear accord that collapsed after Trump unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018. Iran began scaling back its commitments a year later.
Iranian officials have warned the mechanism could prompt their withdrawal from the non-proliferation treaty. Israel, widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, is not an NPT signatory.
Germany's foreign ministry spokesman, Martin Giese, said Iran's move to suspend cooperation with the IAEA was a "disastrous signal."
Since the Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Tehran has sharply criticized the IAEA for its silence and condemned a June 12 UN resolution accusing Iran of non-compliance, which Iranian officials say provided a pretext for the attacks.
On Wednesday, senior judiciary official Ali Mozaffari accused Grossi of "preparing the groundwork" for Israel's raids and called for him to be held accountable, citing "deceptive actions and fraudulent reporting."
Damage
Iran has rejected Grossi's requests to visit bombed sites, saying they smacked of "malign intent."
Britain, France and Germany have condemned unspecified "threats" against the IAEA chief.
On Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the vote to halt cooperation reflected public "concern and anger."
Israel's 12-day war killed top Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists and drew waves of retaliatory drone and missile fire.
On June 22, Israel's ally, the United States, launched unprecedented strikes of its own on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz.
More than 900 people were killed in Iran during the conflict, according to the judiciary.
Iran's retaliatory attacks killed 28 people in Israel, according to authorities.
President Donald Trump said the US attacks had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear program, though the extent of the damage was unclear.
In a press briefing, the Pentagon spokesperson confirmed that the U.S. assessment of Iran's nuclear program remains unchanged, despite recent developments. The Pentagon stated that Iran's nuclear program has been set back by one to two years.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has acknowledged "serious" damage to the sites. But in a recent interview with CBS, he said, "One cannot obliterate the technology and science... through bombings."
AFP
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