Iran’s Defiant Break with IAEA Threatens Global Security and Accountability

Tehran’s latest move to cut ties with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) represents a clear challenge to international norms and global security. By approving legislation that suspends cooperation with the IAEA and blocking its inspectors from accessing Iranian nuclear sites unless stringent conditions are met, Iran is effectively shutting down transparency—one of the few tools left to ensure peaceful nuclear development. This legislation, backed by Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian and the Guardian Council, follows a sharp escalation in tensions triggered by Israeli military actions against Iran’s nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, as well as U.S. strikes targeting...