“Criminal War Launched by Nuclear Powers”: ElBaradei Slams US-Israeli Strikes on Iran

According to Saed News, Mohamed ElBaradei, the former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has issued a grave warning in response to US and Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, calling the offensive “a criminal war led by countries with thousands of nuclear weapons.” His remarks, posted on X (formerly Twitter) , underscore growing international unease over the legality and consequences of the military escalation.

"Two nuclear-armed states have launched an illegal war on a non-nuclear nation in blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law,” ElBaradei wrote. “This assault is based on no evidence of a military nuclear programme in Iran—just as it was in Iraq."

He recalled that numerous IAEA reports had consistently confirmed the absence of weaponization in Iran’s nuclear programme. "International inspectors have found no proof Iran is developing nuclear arms. And yet, history repeats itself—this war is disturbingly reminiscent of the catastrophic invasion of Iraq."

ElBaradei, who served as the UN’s nuclear watchdog during the build-up to the 2003 Iraq War, drew parallels between then and now: "Back then, the world was duped into war despite the inspectors' findings. We are now watching another unlawful war unfold, with potentially even more devastating consequences for the region."

The Egyptian diplomat warned that the assault could unravel regional stability: “As with Iraq, as with Gaza, this war will be destructive not just for Iran but for all nations in the Middle East—who today stand silent. God is my witness: I have delivered my warning.”

Escalation and Iranian Reaction

Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization issued a defiant response, asserting that despite “barbaric and unlawful” attacks on the nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, the country’s peaceful nuclear development will not be derailed. The agency confirmed that the strikes—described as a flagrant breach of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)—were explicitly claimed by US President Donald Trump, via his official channels.

"The assault is not just illegal—it is aided by the silence, and in some cases complicity, of the IAEA itself," the statement said. "Iran’s nuclear programme will endure. Our scientists will not allow the blood of our nuclear martyrs to be in vain."

Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the launch of its 20th wave of retaliatory missile and drone strikes targeting military and weapons industry sites in Tel Aviv and Haifa.

In a related move, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that under the UN Charter, the country reserves the right to self-defense and "considers all options open" in response to the aggression.

Global Legal Questions Reignited

The strikes have reignited calls inside Iran for withdrawal from the NPT. Critics argue that signatories who abide by international obligations are left more vulnerable than those who remain outside the treaty, such as Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea—all of which have escaped similar military confrontations.

“The NPT has become a strategic liability,” wrote former Iranian diplomat Hossein Mousavian in a separate statement earlier this week. “It offers no protection and invites coercion.”

As the dust settles over Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, ElBaradei’s warning reverberates globally: the world may be sleepwalking into another protracted and unjustified conflict, enabled not by rogue actors—but by those entrusted with global security.