Iran urges IAEA to defend its facilities after vowing to develop nuclear weapons if attacked

Tension continues to mount between Washington and Tehran

The Natanz nuclear plant in the south of Tehran is one of Iran's main uranium enrinchment sites. Reuters

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called on the International Atomic Energy Agency to intervene over threats issued against the country's nuclear facilities after Tehran vowed to acquire nuclear weapons if it is attacked.

US President Donald Trump has threatened Iran with bombing and economic measures if the country does not come to an agreement with Washington over imposing curbs on its nuclear programme.

“Given the continuation of these threats, the Islamic Republic of Iran will take any necessary measures to protect its nuclear programme,” Mr Araghchi said in a phone call with the nuclear watchdog's chief Rafael Grossi on Tuesday evening, according to the ministry. “The International Atomic Energy Agency must adopt a clear position regarding threats against the peaceful nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

He said Mr Grossi would hold consultations with other parties “to create a suitable atmosphere to help resolve existing issues”.

The call came a day after Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said an attack by the US or its allies would push Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons. “If the US or Israel bomb Iran under the nuclear pretext, Iran will be compelled to move towards producing an atom bomb,” Larijani said in a televised interview.

“The leader’s fatwa prohibits nuclear weapons, but if the US makes a mistake, Iran, under public pressure, would be forced to move towards building nuclear weapons,” he added, referring to Mr Khamenei.

In a telephone interview with NBC News on Sunday, Mr Trump had said if Iran does not reach a deal to curb its nuclear programme “there will be bombing” threatening “it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.” He added that no deal would also result in secondary tariffs, “like I did four years ago”.

In his first term in office, Mr Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Mr Trump also reimposed sweeping US sanctions against the country.

Since then, Iran has abandoned the uranium enrichment limits set out in the initial agreement. Mr Khamenei has said that the Trump administration's departure from that deal was the reason he did not want Iran to enter direct negotiations.

“10 years after signing the JCPOA – and 7 years after the US unilaterally walked away from it – there is not ONE SHRED OF PROOF that Iran has violated this commitment,” Mr Araghchi said on X on Tuesday evening. The Foreign Minister added that while Mr Trump may not like the 2015 deal, it contains “one vital commitment” that Tehran still abides by: “Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons.”

“Diplomatic engagement worked in the past and can still work. BUT, it should be clear to all that there is – by definition – no such thing as a “military option” let alone a “military solution,” Mr Araghchi added.

Iran also complained to the UN Security Council on Monday about “reckless and belligerent” remarks by US President Donald Trump, describing them as “a flagrant violation of international law” and the founding UN Charter.

Mr Trump sent a letter to the supreme leader last month, calling for a return to negotiations on the deal. Tehran ruled out direct talks, in a response communicated through Oman.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered more forces to the Middle East, including the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group and aircraft, the Pentagon said on Tuesday as tension between Washington and Tehran continues to escalate. Mr Trump returned to a policy of “maximum pressure” and has increased sanctions on Tehran, in addition to striking its allies such as the Houthis in Yemen.

“The choice for the Houthis is clear: Stop shooting at US ships, and we will stop shooting at you. Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come, for both the Houthis and their sponsors in Iran,” Mr Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday.

The US Treasury Department on Tuesday announced sanctions on six entities and two individuals in action taken in co-ordination with the Department of Justice, accusing them of responsibility for procurement of critical parts on behalf of a leading manufacturer for Iran's drone programme. The Treasury said it was the second round of sanctions aimed at “Iranian weapons proliferators” since Mr Trump restored the maximum pressure campaign, which includes efforts to drive Iran's oil exports down to zero in order to help prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.