Iran, IAEA Finalize Deal on Cooperation

The agreement was reached in Cairo following weeks of negotiations.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Cairo alongside his Egyptian counterpart and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on Monday evening, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the development marks an important step in demonstrating the Islamic Republic’s goodwill and its commitment to resolving all issues related to its peaceful nuclear program through diplomacy and dialogue.

He said Iran has remained steadfast in defending its inalienable rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to peaceful nuclear energy, even while facing illegal and criminal attacks by the Israeli regime and the US, and has shown readiness to engage in meaningful dialogue for the implementation of its obligations.

The foreign minister condemned the hostile acts carried out between June 13 and 24, in which safeguarded nuclear facilities in Iran were deliberately targeted by the Zionist regime and the US. He stressed that such operations were criminal and unlawful, and held the regimes of the US and Israel responsible for all human and material losses. Araqchi stated that the Iranian people would never forget or forgive these crimes.

Araqchi also underlined that those attacks, along with continuing threats of further aggression, fundamentally altered the conditions under which Iran had cooperated with the IAEA. He noted that it had become impossible to continue cooperation while safeguarded facilities were deliberately attacked and destroyed.

In response, he recalled, the Iranian Parliament passed legislation mandating the suspension of cooperation with the IAEA, describing the move as a sovereign right of the Iranian nation to protect its security, dignity, and nuclear achievements. He said this was not Iran’s choice but a direct consequence of the unlawful assaults on its safeguarded facilities, stressing that no responsible nation could continue business as usual under such circumstances.

Araqchi argued that the existing NPT Safeguards Agreement framework, designed for normal conditions, was incapable of addressing the unprecedented situation caused by illegal actions of the US and Israel. He pointed out that there was no prior case of an IAEA member state cooperating with the agency while its safeguarded facilities were under deliberate attack.

On this basis, Iran and the IAEA entered into intensive negotiations to develop a new mechanism for implementing safeguards obligations and ensuring continued cooperation, he stated. These talks, Araqchi explained, were built on the common understanding that while safeguards activities must be preserved, Iran’s legitimate security concerns also had to be taken into account.

He said that in Cairo, the final round of these negotiations with the IAEA chief had successfully concluded with the finalization of an agreement on the modalities of implementing Iran’s safeguards commitments in light of recent unlawful attacks on its nuclear facilities.

Araqchi emphasized that the agreed practical steps are fully consistent with the Iranian Parliament’s legislation, address Iran’s concerns, and provide a framework for continued cooperation.

He noted that the new arrangement preserves Iran’s rights while maintaining cooperation with the IAEA under a negotiated framework. The mechanism, he said, reflects both Iran’s exceptional security circumstances and the IAEA’s technical requirements, ensuring respect for Iran’s national sovereignty alongside fulfillment of the Agency’s verification mandate.

Araqchi, however, cautioned that cooperation cannot be detached from realities on the ground or from the need to safeguard the rights and security of the Iranian people. He reiterated that Iran would never compromise on its sovereignty, rights, or security.

At the same time, by reaching this agreement with the IAEA despite unlawful attacks, Iran has shown restraint and responsibility, he added.

Araqchi also called on the Agency and the international community to adhere to international law and condemn such attacks, stressing that cooperation is not a one-way street. In return for Iran’s commitments, he said, the IAEA has clear responsibilities, and Tehran expects it to fully uphold impartiality, independence, and professionalism.

Finally, Araqchi warned that should any hostile act be undertaken against Iran —including the reinstatement of canceled UN Security Council resolutions— Tehran would consider the practical steps agreed upon as null and void.