TEHRAN – Iran announced on Monday that its cooperation with the United Nations’ nuclear agency will not return to previous terms following acts of aggression against its nuclear facilities.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran had reviewed the latest report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and would soon communicate its official response to both the agency and its Board of Governors.
“Considering the incidents that have occurred, our expectation is that the report takes into account the field realities,” he told reporters, explicitly referring to recent sabotage at Iranian nuclear sites.
Baghaei said the IAEA has come to recognize that “the manner and mechanism of Iran’s implementation of its safeguards obligations cannot be the same as before the aggression.”
He added that there is currently no inspection protocol tailored for such circumstances and that Iran’s concerns had been acknowledged during technical talks in Tehran and Vienna.
“The agency itself has acknowledged that currently no inspection protocol is applicable in such situations,” he noted.
While negotiations continue, Baghaei described the discussions as constructive but emphasized that any new cooperation framework must comply with Iranian domestic law, the directives of the Supreme National Security Council, and recent developments.
Iran has also raised concerns over the unauthorized transfer of access-related documents to the IAEA’s Vienna headquarters earlier this year, which Baghaei said violated established protocols. “The agency has admitted such actions should not have occurred,” he added.
On the broader nuclear diplomacy front, Baghaei reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to dialogue but firmly rejected any negotiations over its defense capabilities, including missiles.
“Iran will not under any circumstances negotiate on its national defense capacities,” he stressed.
Addressing the controversial “snapback”
mechanism invoked by European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal, Baghaei labeled it “illegal and without any legal basis.”
He noted that Iran used recent diplomatic engagements, including a high-level meeting in Doha between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, to warn against attempts to reimpose UN sanctions.
“In Doha, we clearly informed the European parties that they no longer have the legal standing to activate the snapback mechanism,” he said.
Tehran continues diplomatic coordination with China and Russia, both of which back Iran’s position that Europe lacks the legal right to trigger snapback sanctions.
Iran plans to submit a draft resolution to the upcoming IAEA General Conference reaffirming the prohibition of attacks on nuclear facilities under international law.
Baghaei said the draft reasserts established legal norms but criticized the United States for opposing it. “The U.S. opposes this and has threatened to cut off its financial support to the agency if it is adopted,” he said.
Turning to U.S.-Iran relations, Baghaei insisted that Washington must take concrete steps rather than issue mere statements if it seeks to return to the nuclear deal.
He added that Iran is preparing for various scenarios, including a full reimposition of sanctions, by developing economic plans to mitigate potential damage.
Regarding Iran’s status in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Baghaei stated that Tehran remains a member but acknowledged the issue of withdrawal has been debated in parliament and would ultimately depend on national decision-making.
He reiterated Iran’s longstanding criticism of Israel’s nuclear arsenal, which he described as the main barrier to a nuclear-free Middle East.
Baghaei also dismissed a recent British parliamentary report accusing Tehran of malign activity as “completely baseless and politically motivated,” framing it as part of a broader pressure campaign led by the U.S. and the UK.
“The British parliamentary report fits into the framework of U.S. and British pressure campaigns against Iran,” he said.
On bilateral relations, Baghaei confirmed the ongoing implementation of the 25-year cooperation agreement between Iran and China, noting such agreements require continuous oversight and adjustments.
In regional affairs, Baghaei rejected calls for disarming Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, insisting that “no country has the right to demand Hezbollah be disarmed” and that Lebanon must determine its own security arrangements.
Baghaei also confirmed that President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to attend the UN General Assembly in New York and said Iran intends to use the platform to express its positions despite longstanding restrictions on Iranian diplomats in the United States.
He condemned U.S. efforts to block the Palestinian delegation from participating in the upcoming IAEA General Conference, calling it a violation of the host country agreement and part of a “dangerous trend” to silence Palestinian representation in international organizations.