CITIZENS NEWS

Iran suspends UN nuclear inspections, demands security guarantees after U.S.-Israeli strikes

By kevinhughes // 2025-10-15

• Iran halts all cooperation with the IAEA, suspending nuclear inspections until it receives security guarantees and recognition of its uranium enrichment rights, following U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on its nuclear facilities.
• The move, ratified by Iran's Guardian Council, comes days after a fragile ceasefire ended a 12-day conflict with Israel, raising fears of unchecked uranium enrichment and renewed hostilities.
• Tehran calls the suspension "temporary," blaming Western "hostility" and accusing Europe (Britain, France, Germany) of undermining diplomacy by pushing for UN sanctions ("snapback"). Iran now possesses 400kg of 60 percent-enriched uranium—just below weapons-grade levels.
• France threatens immediate sanctions. Russia condemns the IAEA for not denouncing U.S.-Israeli strikes. China rejects sanctions, urging diplomacy.
• With IAEA oversight gone, snapback sanctions could reinstate an arms embargo, ban enrichment, and freeze assets—while Iran's unchecked nuclear progress risks pushing the region toward further conflict.

Iran has officially halted all cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), suspending nuclear inspections until it receives security assurances and recognition of its uranium enrichment rights. The decision follows U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which Tehran has condemned as "acts of war." The move, ratified by Iran's Guardian Council, comes just days after a fragile ceasefire ended a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel. With the IAEA now barred from monitoring Iran's nuclear program, fears are mounting over unchecked uranium enrichment and the potential for renewed hostilities.

Iran's justification: A response to Western "hostility"

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasized that the suspension is "temporary" and contingent on the West providing "fair proposals" that respect Iran's sovereignty. "We see no basis for negotiations with the Europeans," Araghchi stated in an interview with Press TV, accusing Britain, France and Germany (E3) of undermining diplomacy by triggering the "snapback" mechanism to reinstate United Nations sanctions against Iran. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which lifted sanctions in exchange for nuclear restrictions, collapsed after the Trump administration withdrew in 2018. Since then, Iran has gradually resumed uranium enrichment, now possessing over 400kg of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity—just below weapons-grade levels. Araghchi warned that Europe's push for sanctions would cause "irreparable damage" to its credibility and destabilize global security. "In this game, the three countries will not only fail to emerge victorious but will also be sidelined from future diplomatic processes," he declared.

International reactions: Divisions deepen

The suspension has drawn sharp responses from world powers:

• France has threatened immediate sanctions if Iran does not reverse course.
• Russia condemned the IAEA for failing to denounce the U.S.-Israeli strikes, questioning the agency's impartiality.
• China, a key Iranian ally, rejected the snapback sanctions, calling them "not constructive" and urging diplomacy.

"We oppose the use of force, or sanctioning or pressuring," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun. "It is imperative to strengthen diplomatic efforts, avoid escalation of tensions." Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian struck a defiant tone, vowing that Iran would "overcome obstacles" imposed by Western powers. "We have never bowed and will never bow to excessive demands because we have the power to bring about change," Pezeshkian said in a televised address. With IAEA oversight now completely halted, the risk of unchecked nuclear advancement looms large. The snapback sanctions, which took effect late September, would:

• Reinstate a global arms embargo on Iran.
• Ban uranium enrichment and ballistic missile activities.
• Freeze Iranian assets and impose travel bans on officials.

Iran has repeatedly denied seeking nuclear weapons, insisting its program is peaceful and permitted under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). However, the lack of inspections raises concerns that Tehran could accelerate enrichment toward weapons-grade levels. "NPT, ratified and entered into force in 1970, aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons beyond the five recognized nuclear-armed states: the United States, Russia (formerly the Soviet Union), the United Kingdom, France and China. Non-nuclear signatory states agree not to pursue nuclear weapons in exchange for access to peaceful nuclear technology and a commitment to disarmament negotiations," BrightU.AI's Enoch explained. As tensions escalate, the international community faces a critical juncture: Will diplomacy prevail, or will the Middle East plunge into another devastating conflict? For now, Iran's message is clear—it will not back down without guarantees. Watch the video below about Iran Parliament Speaker Mohammad Qalibaf saying that Iran will suspend cooperation with the IAEA. This video is from Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: RT.com AA.com.tr AlJazeera.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com

Russia Iran China United States nuclear weapons Israel United Kingdom Middle East France Germany Soviet Union Europe Britain uranium Tehran JCPOA IAEA Masoud Pezeshkian NPT Abbas Araghchi