Iran warns UN of retaliation over Israeli threats to nuclear sites

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
22 May 2025 18:44
1 Shares

Iran's top diplomat called on the UN Security Council to take "urgent and effective" action to confront Tel Aviv's "reckless and destabilizing conduct".

Listen

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. (Official Telegram Channel)

In a formal letter to the United Nations, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a stern warning against any Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, vowing a decisive response and holding the United States legally responsible for any escalation.

Addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the President of the Security Council, and the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the letter accuses the Israeli regime of issuing repeated threats that violate international law and pose a direct challenge to regional and global peace.

"In the face of any threat or unlawful action, the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond with determination," Araghchi wrote. "Iran will take all necessary measures to defend its people, interests, and infrastructure from terrorist or sabotage activities, in accordance with international law."

Araghchi argued that the Israeli leadership's open discussion of targeting Iran's nuclear sites represents a grave breach of the UN Charter. He called on the UN Security Council to take "urgent and effective" action to confront Tel Aviv's "reckless and destabilizing conduct."

Threats from the rogue Israeli regime are nothing new. But the recent leak citing US officials as divulging Israeli plans for an unlawful attack on Iran and its nuclear facilities is alarming and warrants immediate and serious condemnation from the UN Security Council and the…
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) May 22, 2025

The letter also urged the IAEA to adopt a firm and impartial stance, particularly in light of threats to Iran's nuclear facilities, which remain under continuous inspection by the agency. Araghchi reaffirmed the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, stating that "repeated IAEA reports confirm its compliance and civilian purpose."

"This letter draws your attention to the growing number of threats by the Zionist regime to strike Iran's peaceful nuclear infrastructure," he wrote. "Such threats are not only unlawful but endanger international security."

Nuclear Standoff

The timing of the letter coincides with US media reports citing intelligence that "Israel" may be preparing to launch a military strike on Iranian nuclear sites. According to CNN, American officials warned that such an action could mark a dangerous rupture with previous US policy and trigger a wider conflict in the region.

Araghchi noted that if such a strike were to occur, the US could not escape responsibility. He argued that Washington's unwavering political and military support for "Israel" makes it complicit in any aggression.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Parliament echoed the foreign ministry's message, declaring that Tehran would never abandon its nuclear rights. Lawmakers reiterated that Iran has no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons and remains committed to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

Amid an escalation in tensions, Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi confirmed Wednesday that Iran and the US are set to resume indirect nuclear negotiations on May 23 in Rome.