BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. A group of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has packed their bags and made their way back to the Agency’s headquarters in Vienna after sticking around in Tehran during the recent military dust-up, Trend reports, citing IAEA.
The inspectors remained on the ground during the height of the hostilities to ensure the continuity of nuclear monitoring activities under challenging conditions. Their safe return marks a key moment amid heightened regional tensions.
The departure comes against the backdrop of a rapidly deteriorating relationship between Iran and the Agency. On June 26, Iran’s Guardian Council approved a bill suspending parliamentary cooperation with the IAEA. This week, Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Hamidreza Haji Babaei announced that Iran would no longer allow IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to visit the country and banned the installation of new surveillance equipment at its nuclear sites.
Tensions escalated after a wave of Israeli airstrikes on June 13 that killed top Iranian military and nuclear officials, followed by retaliatory missile attacks by Iran and U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. A US-brokered ceasefire between Iran and Israel was reached on June 24, but uncertainty continues to surround the future of international nuclear oversight in the country.
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