NATO Pressures Iran on Nuclear Commitments Amid Escalating Regional Tensions

According to Saed News, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte urged Iran to uphold its commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), reiterating Western opposition to Iran's potential acquisition of nuclear weapons. Speaking to reporters on Monday in The Hague, Rutte stated, “Our allies have long agreed that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon.”

The statement comes even as Iran continues to emphasize the peaceful nature of its nuclear program—claims that have been repeatedly validated by the International Atomic Energy Agency. As recently as June 17, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that the agency had found no evidence of any systematic efforts by Iran to develop nuclear arms. “We have seen no indication of a diversion toward a weaponization program,” he said.

Grossi again stressed on June 20 the necessity of a diplomatic resolution to mounting tensions, warning against the dangerous consequences of military actions targeting nuclear facilities.

Just days earlier, on June 23, the United States joined Israel’s military campaign against Iran by striking three major nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The unprecedented escalation marked a direct intervention by Washington in a conflict largely driven by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s confrontation with Tehran.

In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi invoked Article 51 of the UN Charter, affirming Iran’s right to self-defense. “All options remain on the table to safeguard our sovereignty, interests, and people,” Araghchi said.

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran issued a separate statement condemning the attacks as "barbaric and in violation of international law, particularly the NPT," and vowed that Iran’s nuclear development will continue unabated.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the launch of its 20th wave of coordinated missile and drone strikes targeting military and industrial assets in the Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv—marking a significant expansion of Iran’s retaliatory campaign.