Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that his country’s future cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog depends on the agency correcting what he called “double standards” toward Iran's nuclear programme.
"The continuation of this cooperation is contingent upon correcting the IAEA double standards towards the Iranian nuclear programme," Pezeshkian said, according to remarks published by the semi-official Mehr news agency.
In a phone call with European Council President Antonio Costa, Pezeshkian said Iran's decision to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was in response to what he described as the "biased and unprofessional behaviour" of Director General Rafael Grossi.
"A repeat of any aggression will be met with a more decisive and regrettable response," he warned.
Costa, for his part, reiterated the EU's full support for the IAEA, calling it "the only impartial body capable of verifying that Iran’s nuclear programme remains strictly peaceful."
"Iran must fully comply with the Non-Proliferation Treaty and enable the resumption of IAEA inspections," Costa said.
"Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon."
The Iranian parliament passed a bill on June 25 suspending cooperation with the IAEA.
The legislation followed heightened tensions between Tehran and the agency, driven by disagreements over inspection access and transparency following Iran’s recent conflict with Israel and the United States.
The 12-day conflict began in mid-June after Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian military, nuclear and civilian sites, killing at least 935 people.
Iran’s Health Ministry reported that 5,332 others were injured.
Tehran responded with missile and drone strikes that killed 29 people and wounded more than 3,400, according to data from Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The US later bombed three nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
The conflict ended with a US-brokered ceasefire on June 24.
