New Delhi: In its first official response following the US strikes, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi emphatically contended that Tehran has the right to defend itself against what he called a “grave violation” by the US.
On social media platform X, the top Iranian diplomat dubbed strikes by the US as a “grave violation of the UN charter and international law”.
Araghchi said: “The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran’s peaceful nuclear installations.”
“The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior. In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people,” he added.
Confirming the US strikes, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation said that three of its nuclear sites were targeted in attacks early Sunday, asserting that it would not allow efforts to advance its “national industry”— a likely reference to its nuclear programme — to be halted.
In its statement, it said: “The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran assures the great Iranian nation that despite the evil conspiracies of its enemies, with the efforts of thousands of its revolutionary and motivated scientists and experts, it will not allow the development of this national industry, which is the result of the blood of nuclear martyrs, to be stopped.”
Sounding a warning, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country’s “response to the continued aggression of the Zionist regime will be more devastating” during a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, as per the official IRNA news agency.
