Why it matters:
Iravani’s remarks come amid heightened tensions following the Israeli regime and U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025, an escalation that Tehran says targeted sites fully under IAEA safeguards.
His comments underscore Iran’s view that the global nuclear oversight system has become increasingly politicized and incapable of ensuring the security of its member states.
What he is saying:
In a detailed address to the UN General Assembly on Friday, Iran’s ambassador to the UN delivered one of Tehran’s strongest criticisms of Western nuclear policies in recent years.
Iravani reiterated that Iran will never yield to threats or coercion, stressing that the Islamic Republic responds only to respect, equality, and adherence to international law. Neither military aggression nor what he described as “economic terrorism,” he said, will force Iran to abandon its legitimate rights.
He condemned the June 2025 Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities as a “deeply criminal act” carried out just hours after a politically motivated IAEA Board of Governors resolution. He added that the attacks killed and injured thousands, targeted nuclear scientists and their families, and inflicted massive damage on critical infrastructure.
Iravani said the United States joined the Israeli attacks on June 22, directly striking safeguarded nuclear facilities in Iran. He noted that both regimes had violated international law, the UN Charter, the IAEA Statute, and UN Security Council Resolution 487.
He criticized the IAEA and its Director General for failing to condemn the assaults, despite the agency’s repeated statements that nuclear sites must never be targeted due to the grave risks they pose to public safety, the environment, and international security. He said such silence undermines the IAEA’s credibility and moral authority.
The envoy accused Western nations of restricting developing countries’ access to peaceful nuclear technology while simultaneously supplying weapons and military support to the Israeli regime, which he described as the region’s only nuclear‑armed actor and a non‑party to the NPT.
Iravani stressed that Iran has never violated the JCPOA, the NPT, or its safeguards obligations, maintaining its commitment to diplomacy despite years of sabotage operations, assassination campaigns, economic sanctions, and the recent military attacks.
He reiterated that the current safeguards system fails to provide mechanisms for protecting nuclear facilities and personnel during armed conflict, calling for the establishment of a new international framework to address this gap.
The ambassador dismissed the European attempt to invoke the snapback mechanism as illegal, reckless, and null, saying the E3 lack legal standing after their own non‑compliance with the JCPOA. He emphasized that UN Security Council Resolution 2231 effectively expired on October 18, 2025.
Key points:
- Iran condemned Israel and the U.S. for illegally attacking safeguarded nuclear facilities in June 2025.
- Tehran criticizes the IAEA for failing to condemn the strikes.
- Iravani maintains Iran remains compliant with the NPT.
- Iran rejects Western attempts to reinstate UN sanctions.
- Tehran insists it will not yield to pressure and calls for new protections for nuclear sites in conflict zones.
Go deeper:
Iran Slams UN Silence, Warns of Rising Aggression
M.Majdi - Hossein Vaez
