Iran parliament to hold emergency session on Cairo accord with IAEA
Iran’s parliament will convene an emergency session on Saturday to review the government’s new cooperation agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Iran’s parliament will convene an emergency session on Saturday to review the government’s new cooperation agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission is scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later on Saturday, the legislature’s spokesman Abbas Goudarzi said. Lawmakers are seeking explanations on how the accord, signed in Cairo on Tuesday, complies with legislation suspending cooperation with the agency after the June conflict with Israel.
Lawmakers demand answers
More than 60 MPs have backed a request for a special session with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Larijani to provide clarification. The move came after parliament went into recess until September 27, prompting criticism that oversight was being avoided.
Conservative MP Hamed Yazdian, who initiated the request, said the session is needed to assess “the extent of conformity of the Cairo agreement with the law passed by parliament.”
Strong criticism of Grossi
The deal has sparked sharp reactions from hardline lawmakers. Javad Hosseini-Kia called IAEA chief Rafael Grossi “a Mossad agent” and urged that he be arrested if he enters Iran. Another MP, Mohammadreza Mohseni-Sani, said inspectors “have no right” to enter Iran until damaged nuclear facilities are restored, warning that if UN sanctions are reimposed under the “snapback” mechanism, parliament would pursue leaving the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Divisions on next steps
Some lawmakers, such as Ahmad Bakhshayesh, have argued Iran should no longer limit itself to peaceful nuclear activities, while others, including Mahmoud Nabavian, have branded the Cairo accord a “cursed agreement.” By contrast, former nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi has described it as “positive” but cautioned that time is running out for diplomacy.
Government position
Araghchi insists the Cairo accord safeguards Iran’s interests and is consistent with the law suspending cooperation. He said it recognizes Tehran’s security concerns, guarantees Iran’s rights, and “creates no access” for inspectors at this stage. Any monitoring, he added, would only be discussed later with approval from the Supreme National Security Council.
Snapback deadline
The debate in Tehran comes as France, Germany, and Britain have triggered the UN “snapback” mechanism, which could restore sanctions at the end of September. One of their conditions for pausing the process is renewed IAEA access, a demand the United States and European Union have also emphasized.
