Iranian Prez Suspends Cooperation With IAEA

Iran on Wednesday formally suspended its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, a measure drawn up in the wake of unprecedented Israeli and US strikes on the Islamic republic's nuclear sites.

- Agencies

TEHRAN:

The war between Iran and Israel, which broke out on June 13 and lasted for 12 days, has intensified tensions between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

On June 25, a day after a ceasefire took hold, Iranian lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in favor of the bill to suspend cooperation with the agency.

State media said on Wednesday that the legislation had cleared the final hurdle and was in effect.

The text, published by Iranian media, states that the legislation aims to "ensure full support for the inherent rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran" under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and "especially uranium enrichment".

The issue of enrichment was at the core of disagreements between Washington and Tehran in nuclear negotiations that had been derailed by the war.

Israel and some Western countries had for long accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons -- an ambition Tehran has consistently denied.