Iran on Monday ended the implementation of the Additional Protocol of the 2015 nuclear deal that allows the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to carry out snap-inspections at sites not declared to the agency.
“As of midnight tonight (2030 GMT), we will not have… commitments beyond safeguards. Necessary orders have been issued to the nuclear facilities,” Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s envoy at the IAEA, was quoted by Reuters as saying.
Iran informed the IAEA last week that it plans to halt snap nuclear inspections outside of its declared sites as of February 23.
On Sunday, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi visited Tehran, where he reached a deal with Iran to continue some verification and monitoring activities in the country.
Iran has consistently scaled back its compliance with the 2015 deal in response to former US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from it in 2018.
Current President Joe Biden has expressed a desire to return to the 2015 agreement but has stressed he would return to the 2015 agreement if Iran returned to compliance with it.