Tehran, June 22 (IANS): Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Sunday strongly condemned the United States, accusing it of a “grave violation” of the UN Charter, international law, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) after American forces — in coordination with Israel — carried out precision strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Araghchi’s remarks came in response to an announcement by US President Donald Trump late Saturday, who revealed that US forces had struck Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear sites in a joint operation with Israel.
The military strikes mark a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict that began when Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran on June 13. In a post on X, Araghchi wrote: “The United States, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has committed a grave breach of the UN Charter, international law, and the NPT by attacking Iran’s peaceful nuclear installations.”
He further warned that, under international law and the UN Charter’s provisions for self-defense, Iran reserves the right to defend its sovereignty and its people. “Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless, and criminal behavior,” Araghchi stated.
Earlier on Saturday, Trump justified the strikes as a means to prevent Iran from advancing its nuclear capabilities. In a briefing after the operation, he said, “I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight, and all of the United States military, on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in decades.”
Trump also expressed hopes that further action would not be necessary but warned of further consequences if Iran persisted. “This cannot continue. There will either be peace or tragedy for Iran, far greater than what we have witnessed,” he added.
The US president also praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli military, describing their joint effort as “erasing this horrible threat to Israel.” The US strikes came after failed diplomatic attempts to revive the 2015 nuclear accord following America’s withdrawal from the pact in 2018.
According to Israeli officials, the preemptive strikes were meant to block Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons — a charge Iran has consistently denied.
The latest escalation raises regional tensions already heightened by the ongoing war in Gaza since October 2023. Iranian state media confirmed that parts of the Fordow facility were damaged in what they termed “enemy strikes,” though full details on the extent of the damage have yet to emerge.
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