Iran committed to Non-Proliferation Treaty, foreign minister says

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Germany’s Foreign Ministry had urged Tehran to reverse its decision to shelve cooperation with the UNs nuclear watchdog.

PHOTO: REUTERS

DUBAI – Iran remains committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its safeguards agreement, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on July 3, a day after Tehran enacted a law

suspending cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.

“Our cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) will be channelled through Iran’s Supreme National Security Council for obvious safety and security reasons,” Mr Araghchi wrote in a post on X.

President Masoud Pezeshkian on July 2 enacted the legislation passed by Parliament last week to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, a move the US called “unacceptable”.

Mr Araghchi’s comment on X was in response to a call from Germany’s Foreign Ministry urging Tehran to reverse its decision to shelve cooperation with the IAEA.

Mr Araghchi accused Germany of “explicit support for Israel’s unlawful attack on Iran, including safeguarded nuclear sites”.

Iran has accused the IAEA of siding with Western countries and providing a justification for Israel’s June 13 to 24

air strikes on Iranian nuclear installations

Western powers have long suspected that Iran has sought to develop the means to build atomic bombs through its declared civilian atomic energy programme. Iran has repeatedly said it is enriching uranium only for peaceful nuclear ends.

IAEA inspectors are mandated