Tehran seems defiant on its nuclear ambitions despite the recent war. The nuclear program, launched with US help during the Shah era, was always a show of strength. Now, it also symbolizes the regime's resilience.

For decades, Iran has been subject to rigorous inspections of its core nuclear sites. Inspectors would visit its enrichment sites and check its stockpile of enriched uranium every couple of days, ensuring that Iran wasn’t diverting fissile material for a nuclear weapon.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Friday its inspectors have departed Tehran and arrived safely to Vienna after Iran suspended cooperation in the wake of attacks on its nuclear program by Israel and the United States.