Iranian parliament approves bill to suspend cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog

DUBAI — Iranian Parliament approved a bill on Wednesday to suspend cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, state-affiliated news outlet Nournews reported.

The move, which needs the final approval of Iran's Supreme National Security Council to be enforced according to Nournews, follows an air war with Israel in which its longtime enemy said it wanted to prevent Tehran developing a nuclear weapon.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was quoted by state media as also saying Iran would accelerate its civilian nuclear program.

According to Mehr news agency, a total of 221 members voted in favor of the bill suspending cooperation. It received zero opposition votes and one abstention, the report added.

Tehran denies seeking nuclear weapons and says a resolution adopted this month by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations paved the way for Israel's attacks.

The parliament speaker was quoted as saying the IAEA had refused even to appear to condemn the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities and "has put its international credibility up for sale."

He said that "for this reason, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran will suspend its cooperation with the Agency until the security of the nuclear facilities is guaranteed, and move at a faster pace with the country's peaceful nuclear program."

Earlier this week, parliament's national security committee approved the bill's general outline and the committee's spokesperson, Ebrahim Rezaei, said the bill would suspend the installation of surveillance cameras, inspections and filing of reports to the IAEA.

Following the Israeli attacks on its nuclear sites, and U.S. bombing of underground Iranian nuclear facilities at the weekend, the Iranian government also faces calls to limit the country's commitments to the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

In an interview with Qatar's al-Araby al-Jadeed on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said: "I think that our view on our nuclear program and the non-proliferation regime will witness changes, but it is not possible to say in what direction."

Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Timothy Heritage