After Iranian President announces halt to cooperation with IAEA, Israeli FM Sa’ar calls for European powers to ‘reinstate all sanctions’

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced on Wednesday that a law passed last month, halting cooperation with the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has been approved. 

The law was passed by the Iranian parliament last week, and was approved by Pezeshkian on Wednesday. It is widely perceived as being a retaliation for the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities during Operation Rising Lion. 

The Iranian government is angry at the IAEA, and believes that Israel used the May 2025 IAEA report to justify its decision to attack Iran. That report found that Iran’s actions and its refusal to cooperate with the IAEA cast doubt on the regime’s claims to only be pursuing a civilian nuclear program. 

In June, a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors found Iran to be in breach of its non-proliferation obligations. The very next day, Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, hitting multiple nuclear sites across Iran. 

Iranian leaders have also accused the IAEA of providing information to Israel and the U.S. which was used to carry out the strikes. 

Speaking after the vote last week, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the IAEA of selling its “international credibility.” 

“For this reason, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran will suspend its cooperation with the IAEA until the security of its nuclear facilities is ensured, and Iran's peaceful nuclear program advances faster,” Ghalibaf said. 

Following the announcement, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called on the E3 countries to reimpose sanctions on Iran. 

“The time to activate the Snapback mechanism is now!” Sa’ar wrote on 𝕏. “I call upon the E3 countries- Germany, France and the UK to reinstate all sanctions against Iran!” 

The time to activate the Snapback mechanism is now!
I call upon the E3 countries- Germany, France and the UK to reinstate all sanctions against Iran!
Iran has just issued a scandalous announcement about suspending its cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy…

— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) July 2, 2025

“The international community must act decisively now and utilize all means at its disposal to stop Iranian nuclear ambitions,” Sa’ar stated.  

Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi admitted that the Fordow nuclear facility had been significantly damaged by the U.S. bombing. 

“No one exactly knows what has transpired in Fordow,” Araghchi said in an interview with CBS News on Tuesday. “That being said, what we know so far is that the facilities have been seriously and heavily damaged.” 

“The Atomic Energy Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran is currently undertaking evaluation and assessment, the report of which will be submitted to the government,” he stated. 

Araghchi also said that, “One cannot obliterate the technology and science for enrichment through bombings. If there is this will on our part, and the will exists in order to once again make progress in this industry, we will be able to expeditiously repair the damages and make up for the lost time.”