Iran’s existing nuclear safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) does not account for wartime conditions and must be revised to protect national security, Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said on Tuesday.
Kamalvandi said the current safeguards agreement under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was written for “normal circumstances” and provides no clear mechanism for facilities that have come under attack. “The safeguards agreement was not designed for wartime situations and therefore needs to be updated,” he told IRNA.
He added that Iran remains committed to the NPT and its verification framework but said the agency’s political approach has complicated cooperation. “When a country is attacked, it cannot be expected to immediately allow inspectors into damaged sites, because that could mean handing sensitive information to its enemies,” Kamalvandi said.
The spokesman said Tehran would continue cooperating with the IAEA over undamaged facilities, but for those hit during recent strikes, “a new legal understanding is needed.” He said the safeguards regime allows for such revisions under its articles 20–22, which permit amendments in exceptional circumstances.
IAEA 'accepted Iran’s point' in Cairo talks
Kamalvandi also revealed that during recent discussions in Cairo, IAEA officials had effectively acknowledged Iran’s legal argument, accepting that the existing safeguards framework does not fully address post-conflict conditions. “Their agreement in Cairo shows that they understood our point — the current text cannot respond to the realities after the 12-day war,” he said.
He stressed that any future cooperation with the agency must ensure that Iran’s security and classified information are protected, saying Tehran is prepared to propose new verification methods “compatible with the realities of a conflict environment.”
“Our main goal is to find a path within the law,” Kamalvandi said. “We are not closing the door to cooperation, but the rules must reflect the conditions that Iran — or any country under attack — faces.”
Foreign minister warns of radiation risk at bombed nuclear sites
Meanwhile, earlier this week Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran faces “security threats and safety concerns” after strikes on its nuclear facilities during the 12-day war in June, warning of potential radiation leaks from damaged sites.
In an interview with Japan’s Kyodo News published on Sunday, Araghchi said the attacks had created “serious dangers,” including possible contamination and unexploded ordnance.
Araghchi added that while Tehran remains open to new nuclear talks if Washington shows “a logic of confidence-building,” IAEA inspections cannot resume at damaged facilities until “clear protocols” are established to protect both safety and sovereignty.
