WANA (Jun 23) – In an emergency meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held today at Iran’s request, the country’s ambassador to the United Nations and international organizations in Vienna, Reza Najafi, condemned what he described as a “blatant act of aggression” by the United States and Israel against Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities.

 

Najafi asserted that these aggressive actions have led Iran to conclude that “extensive cooperation under the current circumstances no longer aligns with its national interests, sovereignty, or national security.”

 

During the session, Iran highlighted the events of June 22, 2025, when U.S. forces reportedly carried out strikes on Iran’s safeguarded nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—facilities under continuous IAEA surveillance and verification. “The aggression was carried out despite the presence of IAEA inspectors and full transparency of our nuclear operations,” Najafi stated.

 

According to Iran’s official statement, “The President of the United States publicly claimed responsibility for the attack on safeguarded Iranian nuclear sites and further boasted about destroying Iran’s enrichment capabilities. Regardless of the accuracy of this claim, it is disgraceful that a depository state of the NPT has not only violated the core principles of the treaty but also brazenly celebrates an illegal act of aggression. This is pride in savagery and aggression.”

 

Najafi questioned the credibility of the U.S. in promoting the rule of law and international legal norms: “Who now dares speak of the rule of law or an international order based on international law? With its actions, the United States has abandoned all legal norms and is enforcing the ‘law of the jungle.’”

 

The statement further underlined that “the aggressive acts by the United States and the Zionist regime targeting IAEA-safeguarded nuclear facilities have led Iran to the conclusion that such extensive cooperation, under the current situation, no longer serves Iran’s national interests, sovereignty, or national security.”

 

Iran’s ambassador also warned that “this latest aggression has dealt a fundamental and irreversible blow to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime,” decisively demonstrating that the NPT framework has failed to achieve its fundamental objectives, including the prevention of attacks on safeguarded nuclear facilities.

 

Iran’s statement stressed that “the attacks by the U.S. and Israel have directly impacted the Agency’s ability to conduct regular inspections and have seriously undermined the effective implementation of the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement. Moreover, the security of nuclear materials, including enriched uranium, has been severely compromised. As a result, the Agency’s continued knowledge in this area can no longer be guaranteed.”

 

Iran also warned of “potential widespread and devastating environmental consequences” of the attacks, including the serious risks of radioactive, chemical, and radiological contamination—not only for Iran but for the entire region.

 

Najafi concluded by stating that responsibility for the grave consequences of these actions lies not only with the aggressor coalition—the United States and Israel—but also with the IAEA and its Board of Governors, should they fail to fulfill their duties by taking effective, principled, and appropriate actions in response to these illegal aggressions, including a clear and unequivocal condemnation.

 

Finally, Iran reaffirmed its inherent right to self-defense, emphasizing that “the Islamic Republic of Iran, in accordance with the UN Charter and the NPT, will fully defend its great nation, sovereignty, and supreme national interestswith all its might.”