Western states lied about Iran’s nuclear program – Russia

A satellite image shows the aftermath of US strikes on Iran’s Isfahan nuclear technology center on June 22, 2025. © Maxar Technologies

25 Jun, 2025 04:36 Russia Today

Western states lied about Iran’s nuclear program – Russia

The US and Israel spread disinformation about Iran’s nuclear program as a pretext for attack, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia has said.

Speaking at the UN Security Council on Tuesday, the diplomat condemned the strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as illegal under international law and said they had “created a real threat” of radioactive contamination.

Nebenzia noted that the reports of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which carries out inspections in Iran, serve as proof of “the absence of proliferation risks.”

“We want to emphasize that nowhere in the IAEA reports is there any mention of Iran converting its nuclear stockpiles for undeclared or military purposes,” Nebenzia said.

The IAEA has found no evidence indicating the development of nuclear weapons by Iran. Therefore, all claims by Western delegations to the contrary are falsehoods aimed at audiences either unfamiliar with the reports or lacking competence on the matter.

Nebenzia described the attack on Iran as “yet another attempt to legitimize the use of force outside the framework of the UN Charter.”

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi told Sky News last week that there was no evidence of “any systematic effort” by Iran to manufacture nuclear weapons. He added, however, that the agency had “elements of concern” about Iran’s enrichment of uranium to 60%.

During a press conference in New York on Tuesday, Israeli envoy Danny Danon reiterated his government’s position that Israeli strikes, which began on June 13, were aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Iran, which denies having a military nuclear program, has condemned the attack as an act of aggression and announced plans to restrict its cooperation with the IAEA.

The US-brokered ceasefire between Iran and Israel took effect on Tuesday and has so far been upheld.

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Trump compares Iran strike to Hiroshima

25 Jun, 2025 16:26 Russia Today

President Donald Trump has compared recent US airstrikes on Iran to its World War II atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Speaking to reporters at the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday, Trump claimed the US strikes on Iran effectively ended their hostilities with Israel.

“I don’t want to use an example of Hiroshima. I don’t want to use an example of Nagasaki. But that was essentially the same thing. That ended that war. This ended the war,” he said.

“If we didn’t take that out, they would have been, they’d be fighting right now,” the US president added.

Trump blasted “fake news” for allegedly diminishing the impact of the US bombing of Iran.

“You have some great reporters, but you have scum,” he said, pointing the finger at CNN, MSNBC and the New York Times. “They’re bad people. They’re sick.”

The US carried out unprecedented strikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend, supporting Israel in its 12-day campaign against Iran. Trump has since announced a ceasefire between the two sides and declared the facilities “totally obliterated.” Iran denies that its civil domestic nuclear program was destroyed, and insists that it will continue using the technology for peaceful purposes.

On Tuesday, multiple outlets cited a classified, preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report that said the US airstrikes may have only set the Iranian nuclear program back by months.

According to CNN, which referenced sources familiar with the intelligence, Iran’s underground centrifuges used to enrich uranium remained largely intact. The assessment also reportedly indicated that Tehran’s stockpile of fissile material was likely relocated to secure locations before the strikes.

The Islamic Republic will reconsider its stance on Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty cooperation, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said. As “20 years of transparency and trust-building regarding Iran’s peaceful nuclear program have not yielded positive results,” the issue needs to be considered, he told the New Arab in an interview.

Tehran has devoted significant effort toward its peaceful nuclear energy program, and will not stop developing it, the top diplomat said.

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