June 18, 2025 EIRNS)—In a sharply worded statement issued June 17, on the escalation of the Israeli-Iranian conflict, Russia’s Foreign Ministry denounced the “destructive actions and confrontational approach” of the Israeli government and its “accomplices” and “sympathizers” among certain Western states whose manipulation of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime and pressure on the International Atomic Energy Agency have led to a tragedy, the statement read. Lying IAEA reports and a subsequent resolution produced by the IAEA Board of Governors, reeking of anti-Iran hysteria, effectively gave Israel a green light to attack Iran’s peaceful nuclear energy facilities on June 13.
The statement warns that these attacks on the Islamic Republic of Iran “are unlawful under international law, pose unacceptable threats to international security, and drive the world closer to a nuclear catastrophe—the consequences of which will be felt globally, including in Israel itself. Russia calls on the Israeli leadership to reconsider its actions and immediately cease its raids on nuclear installations and sites under IAEA safeguards and subject to IAEA verification.”
Also yesterday, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and Other International Organizations in Geneva Gennady Gatilov delivered a similarly tough statement to the Plenary Meeting of the Conference on Disarmament in that city. Denouncing Israel’s attack on Iran as a violation of the UN Charter and international law which threatens to unleash a nuclear catastrophe, Gatilov pointed out that these attacks not only took place in the midst of the IAEA Board of Governors’ meeting, but also right before the next round of talks between Iranian and U.S. representatives on the topic of Iran’s nuclear program. “This jeopardizes years of multilateral efforts to reduce confrontation and find solutions that eliminate any prejudices and speculation about Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.”
