Iran is calling on the United Nations Security Council to respond decisively to Israel’s recent airstrike targeting the Khondab heavy water reactor. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi voiced Tehran’s concerns in a statement posted on X.
“If the Council now fails to act, it must explain to the international community why its legal principles apply only selectively on such a crucial matter. It will also bear ultimate responsibility—alongside the Israeli regime—if the global nonproliferation regime collapses,” Araghchi wrote.
According to the Iranian official, the targeted site—located in Khondab near Arak—is a heavy water nuclear reactor that remains under full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The facility is being constructed in strict compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to eliminate any proliferation risks.
“This reactor, under comprehensive IAEA safeguards, was bombed in broad daylight by the Israeli regime, despite its fully transparent and peaceful status,” he emphasized.
Araghchi also urged the Security Council to enforce its own past commitments—specifically referencing Resolution 487, which was adopted unanimously in 1981 in response to Israel's attack on Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor. The resolution affirms that any military strike against a nuclear facility under IAEA safeguards is a direct assault on the global nonproliferation framework.
“The language of Resolution 487 is clear: such acts are unacceptable and must be met with international accountability. This standard applies not only to the past but also sets a legal precedent for future conduct. The use—or threat—of force against safeguarded nuclear sites undermines the very foundation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),” Araghchi warned.
As tensions rise in the region, Iran insists that the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, must act urgently to prevent further escalation and to protect the integrity of international legal norms.
Fatima Shukurova // EDnews
