Iran Refuses to Surrender Its Legitimate Nuclear Rights

Tehran: Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), has said that the recent attacks on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities were unprecedented and marked a new and dangerous escalation by the United States, Israel, and their allies.

Speaking to Al-Masirah, Eslami said the strikes targeted IAEA-supervised facilities, something he described as the first incident of its kind in history. He called the attack a “clear crime” against Iran’s scientific progress and its right to peaceful nuclear technology.

Eslami criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for failing to condemn the attacks. He said this silence shows double standards and a breakdown of international legal norms.

He stated that Iran has complete evidence about the nature of the attack, the parties responsible, and their motives. “Iran will not give up its rights and will not allow anyone to impose their will on the country,” he added.

Speaking at an international conference titled “International Law Under Attack: Aggression and Defense”, Eslami said Iran would continue its nuclear activities regardless of any new resolutions at the IAEA Board of Governors.

He stressed that UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which placed limits on Iran’s nuclear program, expired in October 2025, and Iran has fulfilled all its obligations. From now on, he said, IAEA monitoring should continue only under normal safeguards.

According to Iranian officials, tensions escalated after Israel launched an attack on June 13, even as Iran and the United States were engaged in nuclear negotiations.
The assault triggered a 12-day war, killing at least 1,064 people, including military officials, nuclear scientists, and civilians.

The United States later bombed three Iranian nuclear sites, which Iran says was a serious violation of international law.

In response, Iranian forces targeted strategic locations in Israeli-occupied territories and struck the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest U.S. military base in West Asia.

Iran says its retaliatory operations forced both the U.S. and Israel to halt their attacks by June 24, ending the escalation.