SAEDNEWS: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi delivered Tehran’s first official response to the U.S. aerial strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities, calling the attack a “disgraceful violation” of international law and vowing that “all options remain on the table” in defense of Iran’s sovereignty and people.
According to Saed News, in a press briefing early Sunday following U.S. military strikes on the nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi condemned the operation as a “shocking and disgraceful” breach of the United Nations Charter, international law, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
“The United States, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, has committed a flagrant violation of international norms by attacking peaceful nuclear sites,” Araghchi stated. “The consequences of this act will be lasting. Every member of the international community should be gravely concerned about such dangerous, illegal, and criminal behaviour.”
Referring to Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, which enshrines the right to self-defense, Araghchi added, “Iran reserves all options to protect its sovereignty, national interests, and the lives of its people.”
Earlier in the day, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization had also issued a statement condemning the attacks, describing them as “barbaric violations” of international conventions, particularly the NPT, under which Iran’s nuclear sites are subject to constant IAEA surveillance.
The statement stressed that the attacks on the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan sites came in the wake of similar aggressions by Israeli forces in recent days. It added that the international community, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has failed to adequately condemn or prevent such actions, and in some cases has appeared complicit.
In a separate announcement, Iran’s Nuclear Safety Authority assured the public that there was no danger to residents living near the affected sites. “All systems remain secure, and radiation levels are within safe limits,” the statement confirmed.
