IAEA oversight Threatened as Iran Moves to Limit Cooperation Amid Regional Escalation –

Iran’s national security committee has approved the framework of a bill that would suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), deepening international concerns about nuclear oversight in West Asia. The proposed legislation, still awaiting full parliamentary approval, would halt the installation of monitoring equipment, inspections, and reporting obligations until Iran deems its nuclear facilities secure. Iranian officials justified the move as a response to recent attacks on its nuclear sites, stating that safety assurances must precede any further engagement with the IAEA. The agency has not yet commented on the draft measure, but experts warn that the loss of oversight could severely undermine the global non-proliferation regime at a time of heightened instability.
 
Speaking in The Hague ahead of the NATO summit tomorrow, Secretary General Mark Rutte said the recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities did not violate international law. He emphasised that NATO’s primary concern lies in the strategic threat posed by Iran’s nuclear capabilities, rather than the legality of the military action. Rutte dismissed criticism that NATO had applied double standards by not condemning the strikes and acknowledged that while regime change in Iran is not on the summit’s formal agenda, some member states may raise the issue in side discussions.