UNITED NATIONS, June 25. /TASS/. The United States and Israel’s actions can be seen as a dangerous infringement on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and Iran’s right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said.
"The actions by the United States and Israel <…> were a direct and most dangerous infringement on the NPT’s authority, in particular Iran’s right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, including uranium enrichment, which is guaranteed by the treaty’s article 4. These actions constitute a painful blow on the non-proliferation regime," he said at a UN Security Council meeting on the Iranian nuclear dossier.
The Russian diplomat noted that Iran, a UNN and NPT member state, "came under unprovoked aggression" and the entire world found itself on the brink of a nuclear disaster.
"Russia strongly condemns the attacks on Iranian territory, including its civilian nuclear infrastructure covered by IAEA safeguards," he stressed.
In the early morning hours of June 13, Israel launched a military operation against Iran. Less than 24 hours later, Iran retaliated. Nine days later, on the morning of June 22, US jets attacked three Iranian nuclear facilities, entering the conflict. The following evening, Tehran launched a missile strike on Al Udeid, the largest US military airbase in the region, located in Qatar. According to the US authorities, there were no casualties or significant damage.
