ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran’s foreign minister warned Thursday that Tehran would “forcefully respond” to any Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities and hold the United States legally accountable for any such action. In a letter to the United Nations leadership and nuclear oversight bodies, Abbas Araghchi called for preventive measures against Israel following media reports that claimed it was preparing to target Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
In the letter, dated Tuesday, May 20, and addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Security Council President Evangelos Sekeris, and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi, the Iranian Foreign Minister pointed to "repeated threats made by the Zionist Israeli regime” to attack Iran’s “peaceful nuclear facilities.”
Citing a CNN report from the same day, which quoted “senior U.S. officials” claiming Israel was “preparing to strike” Iranian nuclear infrastructure, Araghchi warned that, due to “the perceived ongoing [Israeli] threats,” Tehran would be “compelled to take special measures to protect its nuclear facilities and materials.”
He stressed that Iran would “respond decisively” and "in accordance with international law” to “defend its citizens, interests, and facilities from any terrorist or sabotage acts,” cautioning against “any reckless action by the Zionist Israeli regime.”
The letter further warned that “if any attack is carried out against its [Iran’s] nuclear facilities, the U.S. government will also bear legal responsibility."
Araghchi also firmly emphasized the “peaceful nature” of Iran’s nuclear program, as verified by the UN nuclear watchdog, and cited several IAEA resolutions condemning armed attacks or threats against peaceful nuclear facilities as violations of international law and the UN Charter.
Additionally, the Iranian foreign minister referenced the 2000 NPT Review Conference’s Final Document, which warned that any attack on such facilities poses “significant risks” and requires “remedial measures under the UN Charter.”
Araghchi accused Israel of being “the principal and most serious threat to regional and global peace and security,” pointing to its status as a non-signatory to the NPT.
In a statement posted Thursday on X, the Iranian foreign minister accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being “desperate to dictate what the U.S. can and cannot do” and of “sparing no effort to derail diplomacy.”
Notably, the Iranian foreign minister’s remarks come just one day before he is set to lead Tehran’s nuclear negotiating team in its fifth round of talks with the US delegation in Rome on Friday, as confirmed by Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi on Wednesday.
Tehran confirmed its participation after initially showing reluctance, citing US demands that Iran fully curtail its uranium enrichment program as non-starter conditions.
The fifth session is part of indirect, Oman-mediated talks between Tehran and Washington, which resumed on April 12. The fourth and most recent round took place on May 12.
These revived talks represent the most substantial engagement between the two sides since the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Under the deal, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
In 2018, during his first term in office, President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the agreement and reimposed sweeping sanctions on Iran.
In response, Tehran gradually reduced its compliance with the deal, while maintaining that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and that pursuing nuclear weapons contradicts the principles of the Islamic Republic.
Nevertheless, a December 2023 report from the IAEA raised serious concerns about Iran's nuclear activities, particularly its stepped-up uranium enrichment.
The report, along with follow-ups in early 2024, highlighted that Iran had “significantly increased production and accumulation of high enriched uranium,” especially at the Fordow facility.
The IAEA warned that enrichment from 60 to 90 percent purity - the threshold typically required for a nuclear weapon - requires only a short technical step.
