Tehran — Iran’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, has firmly reiterated the country’s commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its Safeguards Agreement, pushing back against recent criticism from Germany and other Western powers, reported by Mehr News Agency.
The German Foreign Office condemned Iran’s decision to suspend direct cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), calling it a “devastating message” that undermines vital international oversight and dims prospects for a diplomatic resolution to the nuclear dispute. Germany urged Tehran to reverse this move.
But Araghchi dismissed these warnings as “fake news,” insisting that Iran remains fully compliant with the NPT framework. He explained that under new Iranian legislation—prompted by recent attacks on its nuclear facilities, which Tehran blames on Israel and the United States—its cooperation with the IAEA will now be managed exclusively through Iran’s Supreme National Security Council for security reasons.
The foreign minister’s statement highlighted what Iran perceives as Germany’s troubling role in escalating tensions: explicit support for Israel’s alleged unlawful strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, which Iran describes as “dirty work” done on behalf of Western interests. Araghchi also accused Germany of backing the U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, actions Tehran claims violate international law, the NPT, and the UN Charter.
Araghchi recalled historical grievances, citing Germany’s controversial support during the Iran-Iraq war, including supplying chemical weapons materials to Saddam Hussein, and criticized Berlin’s strong support for Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
This stern rhetoric signals a widening diplomatic rift as Iran navigates complex pressures from the West while asserting its sovereign right to safeguard its nuclear program amid ongoing regional and global tensions.
