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Iran has called for an emergency meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog to discuss “baseless” US and Israeli claims that Tehran’s atomic programme partly justified their military action against it.
“In light of ongoing acts of aggression by the US and Israeli regimes… (Iran) called for an urgent extraordinary meeting” of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s board of governors, Iran’s mission to the Vienna-based agency said on X on Saturday.
The post included an image of its formal request letter, addressed to IAEA chief Rafael Grossi.
“Baseless claims, vicious threats and wrongful acts of aggressors against Iran’s peaceful nuclear program shall be addressed by the Board immediately,” it added.
Grossi took part in the US-Iranian talks on February 17 and 26, which some observers saw as the last chances to avoid a conflict.
The UN nuclear watchdog stressed on Friday the “utmost urgency” of its request to verify all nuclear material in Iran, according to a confidential report seen by AFP.
Western countries led by the US and Israel, Iran’s arch-enemy and considered by experts to be the only nuclear power in the Middle East, accuse the Islamic Republic of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.
Tehran denies having such military ambitions, but insists on its right to this technology for civilian purposes.
It was earlier reported that a wave of strikes on Saturday by the United States and Israel against targets in Iranian cities, triggering explosions and columns of smoke in the capital, Tehran.
US President Donald Trump said Washington’s goal was “eliminating imminent threats” from Iran, while Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the action as a “preventive strike.”
In a video message posted on his social media platform, Trump said, “The United States’ military began major combat operations in Iran.”
He added, “We are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated. We’re going to annihilate their navy.”
In a related development, the US said on Saturday that Iran’s retaliation has caused no reported American casualties, the Pentagon said, adding that damage to US installations has been “minimal” despite a barrage of Iranian air assaults.
Following the initial US and Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic, “CENTCOM forces successfully defended against hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks,” the US Central Command, which launched the American operation at the orders of President Donald Trump, said in a statement.
“There have been no reports of US casualties or combat-related injuries. Damage to US installations was minimal and has not impacted operations.”
AFP
