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By Amira El-Fekki
Middle East News Reporter
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Iran could expel inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and suspend cooperation with the nuclear watchdog if threats of military action by the U.S. and Israel continue, a senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said.
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department, Israel's foreign ministry and the IAEA for comment.
Why It Matters
The expulsion of the IAEA inspectors would close the world's window into Iran's nuclear program, which the agency has said is accelerating the enrichment of uranium to levels near what would be needed to build nuclear weapons.
Read More on World
The comments reflect the growing anger among hardliners in Iran over the threats of military action against the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, which Tehran says has purely civilian goals. President Donald Trump has launched amid a "maximum pressure" campaign and Iran-U.S. talks are scheduled for the weekend, but Trump has threatened to bomb Iran if no deal is reached.
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What To Know
Ali Shamkhani, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, said on Thursday that the continuation of U.S. and Israeli military threats could lead to the expulsion of IAEA inspectors and the suspension of cooperation with the U.N. nuclear agency, MEHR News Agency reported.
Shamkhani, a senior political advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, further signaled the possibility of transferring enriched nuclear materials to secure, undisclosed sites within Iran.
Iranian officials have warned that any attack on the country will be met with a "swift response", in an exchange of threats with the U.S. Israeli officials have firmly said they would prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Iran disputes Western allegations over its nuclear program, but threatened to do so if it is attacked.
What People Are Saying
Ali Shamkhani, member of the Expediency Discernment Council on X: "The continuation of external threats and Iran being in a state of #military_attack may lead to deterrent measures, including #expulsion_of_inspectors from IAEA and cessation of cooperation. Transfer of#enriched_materials to secure locations may also be considered."
U.S. President Donald Trump, Wednesday, as quoted by The Associated Press: "If it requires military, we're going to have military. Israel will obviously be very much involved in that. They'll be the leader of that. But nobody leads us, but we do what we want to do."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on X, Tuesday: "We're both united in the goal that Iran does not ever get nuclear weapons. If it can be done diplomatically in the full way that it was done in Libya that would be a good thing. But whatever happens, we have to make sure Iran does not have nuclear weapons."
What Happens Next
Diplomatic hostilities between the U.S. and Iran come ahead of an anticipated meeting scheduled for Saturday in Oman over nuclear program talks. The outcome of the meeting could be pivotal with a potential military confrontation looming.
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