Iran in the Board of Governors urgent meeting:The time of hit-and-run is over.

Statement by H.E. Reza Najafi Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran before the Board of Governors of the IAEA on Military Act of Aggression by the Israeli Regime: Israeli genocidal regime is under illusion that Iran is defenseless Gaza and has attacked residential areas hospitals and schools which resulted in martyrdom of more than 200 civilians mostly innocent women and children. Iran responds with full force in exercising its inherent rights to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter The time of hit-and-run is over.

Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran

to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Vienna

Statement by H.E. Reza Najafi

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran

before the Board of Governors of the IAEA

on Military Act of Aggression by the Israeli Regime

(Vienna, 16 June 2025)

 

Madam Chair,

I wish to express the Islamic Republic of Iran’s sincere appreciation to the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and other Member States for their valuable support to Iran’s Foreign Minister request to convene this urgent session to address the unlawful act of aggression committed by the Israeli regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran—a blatant violation of international law, the Charter of the United Nations, and the Statute of the IAEA, which constitute clear acts of State terrorism and serious threat to international peace and security.

The United States was fully aware of the impending act of aggression, indicating a level of prior knowledge and complicity in this regard. This act of aggression was perpetrated with the full intelligence, political, and material support of the United States.

The IAEA and its Director General had a clear responsibility to take effective preventive and deterrent measures when the Islamic Republic of Iran formally brought such credible threats against its safeguarded nuclear facilities to the Agency’s attention.[1]

The continued inaction of the IAEA, despite repeated and well-documented warnings issued by Iran concerning Israeli threats to its nuclear sites and facilities, has significantly undermined the Agency’s credibility and authority. This failure, as well as E3-US politically-motivated resolution have, in effect, emboldened Israeli regime and created an environment in which such acts of aggression could be carried out not only against nuclear safeguarded facilities, but also on residential areas and critical infrastructures.

Distinguished Colleagues;

We all agree that the primary objective of joining the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and adhering to the IAEA’s comprehensive safeguards by non-nuclear-weapon States (NNWSs) is to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination, within a secure and transparent framework. The Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently demonstrated its commitment to transparency and good faith cooperation. However, the reciprocal assurances and benefits envisioned under the NPT have yet to be realized in Iran’s case.

Several decades ago, Iran joined the NPT with full and sincere commitment, despite of the fact that certain parties failed to act in good faith and during all these years Israeli regime continued to remain outside the framework of the Treaty with an active WMD, nuclear weapons  program.

 Throughout this time, Iran has maintained its cooperation with the IAEA, providing extensive information and access regarding its peaceful nuclear activities.

Detailed information about Iran’s peaceful nuclear sites and facilities—from their locations to the nature of their activities—has been provided to the Agency under CSA and for two years AP. Unfortunately, this transparency has been turned against us, now endangering our facilities and scientists.

Iran has consistently provided the Agency with detailed highly confidential information regarding its peaceful nuclear sites and facilities, including their locations and the nature of their activities. Regrettably, this transparency has at times been misused, leading to the exposure of sensitive information and endangering our facilities and the safety of our scientists.

Iran’s cooperation, undertaken in good faith, has regrettably resulted in serious national security concerns, largely due to the Agency’s failure to safeguard sensitive information appropriately. In effect, Iran’s adherence to and full compliance with the NPT has not translated into the expected protection of its nuclear infrastructure or the confidentiality of its peaceful nuclear activities.

This situation fundamentally calls into question the justification for Iran’s continued implementation of certain voluntary commitments that, rather than providing the intended security benefits, have unfortunately been exploited to enable threats and hostile actions against the country.

It is deeply troubling that a non-NPT rogue regime engages in unlawful armed attacks against a committed State Party, while certain others call upon Iran to relinquish its legitimate rights under the NPT as a so-called 'concession' in response to such unlawful behavior. This approach is both unjustifiable and unacceptable within the framework of international law and the principles of the non-proliferation regime.

It must be recalled that the IAEA resolutions on the issue of military attacks against nuclear facilities inter alia confirmed “any armed attack on and threat against nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes constitutes a violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law and the Statute of the Agency”.

We urge the Board of Governors and the IAEA not to allow their initial failure to prevent aggression to be followed by a subsequent failure and to take strong and effective remedial action. The situation calls for a firm, principled stance—not just procedural explanations. The Board must condemn the Israeli aggression in its strongest terms and hold it accountable, otherwise the consequences would be with those appeasing this aggressor child-killer regime.

As previously communicated in the correspondence of senior Iranian officials with the Director General, and also conveyed to him during bilateral meetings, the Islamic Republic of Iran has already adopted special measures to protect its nuclear equipment and materials. In light of national security imperatives, the details of these measures will be announced to the Agency in due time.

In accordance with the UN Charter, the NPT, and the IAEA Statute, the Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms its inherent right to self-defense and will strongly defend its people, its sovereignty, its peaceful nuclear facilities, and its supreme national interests.

Israeli genocidal regime is under illusion that Iran is defenseless Gaza and has attacked residential areas, hospitals and schools which unfortunately resulted in martyrdom of more that 200 civilians mostly innocent women and children and injuries of more than 1000 civilians.

Iran responds with full force in exercise of its inherent rights to self-defense under article 51 of the UN Charter.

The time of hit-and-run is over.

I thank you Madam Chair.

[1] Letter of Vice President and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, No. 30/29 dated 11 June 2025; Letter of Vice President and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, No. 154859 dated 8 November 2023; letter of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Araghchi, dated 22 May 2025; Letter of the Representatives of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, No. 18922 dated 25 May 2025; Letter of the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations and International Organizations in Vienna, No. 2228045 dated 6 October 2024; Letter of the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations, No. 1487576 dated 1 February 2023; Letter of the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations, dated 3 January, 2023 (S/2023/9).