Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei on Monday condemned recent U.S. attacks on Iran, calling them an assault on the fundamental right to life and criticizing U.S. threats to strike the Iran's bridges and power plants, when speaking at a weekly press conference in Tehran.
"Frankly, threatening to strike Iran's bridges and power plants, does that really meet any criterion of international law? Let me set that aside. It doesn't even align with any of the standards they themselves use to describe what it means to be civilized," he said.
Earlier, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said that a construction site of the Darkhovin nuclear power plant in southwestern Khuzestan Province was struck by U.S. projectiles on Sunday.
Baghaei described the attack as "extremely disgraceful," arguing that it exposed the hollowness of U.S. concerns over Iran's nuclear ambitions.
"This attack, in my view, is extremely disgraceful. It lays bare just how hollow the U.S. claims are about being concerned with Iran's nuclear proliferation intentions. The Darkhovin nuclear facilities are under IAEA safeguards. They were meant to be used for energy production and this attack demonstrates that the United States has a problem with Iran's industry, its economic development, and the welfare of its people. Every other justification is nothing more than a pretext," he said.
Iranian FM spokesman condemns US attacks, threats to infrastructure
The current U.S. war against Iran is making the world less safe and a return to diplomacy is needed, a United Nations spokesman said Wednesday as U.S. forces' strikes on Iranian military targets entered the 11th consecutive night on Tuesday.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said at a daily conference that renewed exchanges of attacks between the United States and Iran after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) is impacting global energy prices and trade.
"The secretary-general wants the fighting to stop. The territorial integrity of every country in the region needs to be respected. We had, I think, the 11th night of kinetic activity between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. There needs to be a return to diplomacy, and that is the message we're delivering publicly, and the secretary-general's delivering in private conversations, as well," said Dujarric.
"It is making us less safe, in a sense, because there's a risk of even greater conflict, right? And it is making the world less safe in terms of the impact it has on energy prices, trade and everything else," he said.
The spokesman also noted that global military spending should be invested in more positive things, such as development and humanitarian.
Under the U.S.-Iran MoU signed on June 18, the two sides were expected to hold talks on a comprehensive deal within 60 days. However, negotiations have stalled amid intensifying disputes over the Strait of Hormuz and escalating hostilities.
On Saturday, Iran announced that it had suspended fulfilling its obligations under the MoU, accusing the U.S. of violating its commitments to the deal.
The announcement came after the United States carried out multiple rounds of strikes on Iran in recent days while Tehran responded with retaliatory attacks targeting U.S. bases and facilities in the Gulf region.
US, Iran need to return to diplomacy: UN spokesman
