The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that an inspection team of the organization had left Iran and returned to its headquarters in Vienna after Tehran officially suspended cooperation.
The move comes amid rising tensions following airstrikes by Israel and the US targeting Iran's nuclear facilities.
According to IAEA, inspectors have been keeping Tehran for much of the recent military conflict, but have been unable to reach the nuclear sites for monitoring. After considering safety issues, the organization decided to withdraw all staff from Iran.
Iran has previously maintained cooperation with IAEA for many years, always asserting that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only. However, Israel has long accused Tehran of secretly developing nuclear weapons. On June 12, IAEA accused Iran of violating an important nuclear monitoring agreement, without producing specific evidence.
A day later, Israel launched strikes against Iran's nuclear scientists and uranium enrichment facilities. Tehran immediately responded with counterattacks, and the US also joined the military campaign with Israel. The 12-day conflict ended with a US- mediated ceasefire.
US President Donald Trump said Iran's nuclear program had been "completely erased" after the military campaign. However, Iranian leaders have denied the claim.
Tehran also accused IAEA of providing sensitive information to its competitors, including the identities of nuclear scientists and intelligence data on key facilities. The Russian Foreign Ministry also strongly criticized the IAEA's role in the conflict, saying that data collected by the agency was exploited to plan attacks, seriously damaging the organization's reputation.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi called for a resumption of negotiations with Iran to resume inspection and supervision as soon as possible.
