“There has never been, and still is not, any doubt about the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear activities,” Esmaeil Baqaei said while appearing in state television on Monday.
He added that the latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) does not contain a single word suggesting Iranian non-compliance or deviation from its nuclear commitments.
Baqaei denounced the recent U.S. involvement in attacks on Iran’s nuclear and civilian infrastructure as a “criminal act” and a “gross violation of international law.”
He stressed that peaceful nuclear sites are protected under international conventions and that the U.S., as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, bears extra responsibility to uphold international peace and security.
He said Israel launched a “terrorist” assault on June 13, targeting scientists, military figures, and civilians without any provocations from Iran, and accused Washington of initially denying knowledge of the attack, but later becoming directly involved.
“This is not only a breach of the U.S. obligations as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and a signatory to international treaties, but a grave threat to global peace and security,” Baqaei stated, highlighting that Washington’s coordination with Israel prior to the attacks is now undeniable.
Responding to criticism from the IAEA Board of Governors, Baqaei accused some Western powers of distorting narratives around Iran’s nuclear intentions.
He noted that although the I.A.E.A. director general previously refrained from fully endorsing Iran’s program as peaceful, he recently admitted in a CNN interview that no evidence points to a military dimension.
Calling that statement as a “belated but important” confession, Baqaei urged the IAEA to take responsibility for the “false narratives” that gave hawkish actors the pretext for attacking Iran.
Referring to Iran’s engagement in five rounds of indirect talks with the United States over its nuclear program, he criticized the U.S. for hypocrisy – claiming to support diplomacy while greenlighting attacks. “It is a lasting stain on America’s record,” he said.
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