In an editorial on Monday titled “A Distorted Interpretation of Parliament’s Law on the IAEA”, Shariatmadari responded to comments made by Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh, who stated in a Chinese TV interview that Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) is the sole authority for managing Iran–IAEA relations, and that cooperation would continue under this framework.
Shariatmadari argued that the law passed by Iran’s parliament in July 2025 explicitly mandates the suspension of all cooperation with the IAEA until two conditions are met: full respect for Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and recognition of Iran’s nuclear rights under Article 4 of the NPT.
He emphasized that the SNSC’s role is limited to verifying IAEA compliance, not defining bilateral relations.
He further warned that bypassing the law constitutes a criminal offense under Article 19 of Iran’s Penal Code.
