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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke at the UN Disarmament Conference in Geneva, stating that Iran has consistently affirmed that it neither seeks to manufacture nor to acquire nuclear weapons, which have no place whatsoever in Iran’s national security doctrine.
“This position is rooted in our defence policy and reinforced by clear religious boundaries prohibiting weapons of mass destruction,” Araghchi said.
“Despite Iran’s demonstrated commitment to diplomacy and good faith agreement, the conduct of certain Western states, most notably the United States, has seriously undermined the credibility of the negotiating process,” Araghchi warned.
Araghchi continued: “By colluding with a non-party to the NPT [Israel] against a state party, the United States, one of the depositories of the treaty, has inflicted a serious blow to the integrity, credibility and the spirit of the NPT – the consequences of which will persist forever.
“Attacks on safeguarded nuclear facilities constitute war crimes, carry the potential for radiological release, long-term environmental contamination, and transboundary consequences affecting the entire region,” Araghchi said.
Arachchi added that the failure of the Security Council and the IAEA to “unequivocally condemn these attacks sets a dangerous precedent and signals a serious erosion of the global non-proliferation regime.”
According to Araghchi, “Selective condemnation and double standards gravely undermine the credibility of international norms and institutions – silence in the face of such violations is not neutrality – it is acquiescence.”
Araghchi noted that: “While the United States and certain European countries turn a blind eye to the threats posed by the Israeli regime to international peace and security, including its nuclear weapons capabilities, they continue to portray Iran’s peaceful nuclear program as a threat to international peace and security.
“The Israeli regime has been committing the most atrocious crimes for the past eight decades with full impunity, unfortunately,” Araghchi said.
Arachghi said that in less than two years, Israel had attacked seven countries in the region, “while more than 70,000 people have been massacred in Gaza as part of its colonial genocide,” Araghchi continued: “There is no crime it has not committed and no red line it has not crossed.”
According to Araghchi: “Iran has consistently emphasised its commitment to cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency within the framework of its illegal obligations – Iran is a founding member of the IAEA and a start party to the NPT.
“Iran’s peaceful nuclear program has been subjected to extensive and unprecedented verification measures under IAEA safeguards – our cooperation with the agency has always been guided by professionalism, transparency, and respect for national sovereignty,” Araghchi added.
Araghchi continued: “Iran believes that constructive engagement with the agency should remain strictly technical and impartial, free from political pressure or selective interpretations.
“Continued cooperation can only be sustained when it is reciprocal, objective, and contributes genuinely to confidence building rather than being used as a tool for political leverage,” continued Araghchi.
“Accordingly, inspections of these facilities require a mutually agreed framework between Iran and the agency, and this is something that we are working on.
“Yesterday I had a technical discussion with Rafael Grossi, Director General of the Agency, where we discussed cooperation between Iran and the Agency.
“We also discussed the role that the agency can play between Iran and the United States to achieve a mutually agreed agreement.”
Araghghi added: “Iran will continue its constructive dialogue and engagement with the agency to address these technical issues and identify an agreed pathway for closing the outstanding gaps.”
According to Araghchi, Iran remains fully prepared to defend itself against any threat or act of aggression: “The consequences of any attack against Iran will not be confined to its borders,” Araghchi warned.
“The choice before us is clear,” continued Araghchi, “either we dismantle nuclear weapons, or they will one day dismantle us – together we can work to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.”
