Iran: IAEA cooperation to follow parliamentary approval, security council decisions

Iran's Foreign Ministry has clarified its position on resuming cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stating that any such activities will proceed strictly according to established procedures, requiring approval from the Islamic Parliament (Majlis) and decisions from the Supreme National Security Council. This statement comes in response to remarks by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, who announced that Iran had agreed to allow IAEA nuclear inspection teams back into the country.

Esmaeil Baghaei, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told the state-run IRNA news agency that cooperation between Iran and the IAEA is based on "procedures in accordance with the approval of the Islamic Parliament and the decision of the Supreme National Security Council." This indicates that while Iran may be open to renewed inspections, the process will be subject to domestic legislative and security oversight.

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Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency's mutual cooperation will continue in accordance with the procedures based on the approval of the Islamic Parliament and the decision of the Supreme National Security Council.

Recent high-level talks between Iran and the United States in Switzerland reportedly did not involve substantive negotiations on nuclear issues. According to IRNA, the Iranian delegation conveyed that "no negotiations were held regarding the nuclear issue, nor were any new obligations accepted." The framework for resuming nuclear talks within the context of the Islamabad Agreement for ending the war between Iran and the U.S. is reportedly contingent on fulfilling Article 13 of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Article 13 of the MOU outlines preconditions for final negotiations, including the cessation of hostilities on all fronts, the lifting of U.S. maritime blockades, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, permission for Iran's oil and petrochemical exports, and the release of frozen Iranian assets. The U.S. media, including The New York Times, has assessed that while dialogue momentum is maintained, core nuclear issues such as the processing of highly enriched uranium and future uranium enrichment levels were not the focus of the recent discussions. The agreement on the return of IAEA inspectors was seen as a point of consensus, but not a breakthrough on the central nuclear challenges.

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No negotiations were held regarding the nuclear issue, nor were any new obligations accepted.