In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
 
Good morning to all of you. I am very happy to meet you today and thank you for accepting our invitation and coming to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
I would like to provide some explanations regarding the recent developments and what we are witnessing, the blatant aggression of the Israeli regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
As you have all been following in the news, since Friday morning the Israeli regime began its blatant aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran - completely unprovoked and without any prior justification - attacking multiple targets across Iran in a clear violation of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s territorial integrity. Among the key targets attacked were the Natanz nuclear facilities along with several locations in Tehran. These attacks resulted in casualties among many civilians across multiple cities, including families, women, children, and our nuclear scientists, as well as several military commanders who were not engaged in combat operations but were in their homes at the time.
This occurred while we were in the midst of nuclear negotiations with the US, with the sixth round of talks scheduled for today, Sunday, in Muscat.
The Israeli regime recognizes no boundaries in violating international law. You have all witnessed in Gaza how not only innocent Palestinian civilians were killed, but also human rights, humanitarian law, international law, and all global standards were disregarded. This time, the Zionist regime crossed a new red line in international law – attacking a nuclear facility, which constitutes a grave violation and is strictly prohibited under any circumstances. Unfortunately, the UN Security Council has remained indifferent.
Many countries, particularly in the region, condemned the Zionist regime’s aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially the attack on nuclear facilities. I thank the honorable ambassadors present whose countries denounced this aggression. However, some European nations, which claim to uphold civilization and international law, instead of condemning Israel, condemned Iran for being attacked!
In response to these attacks, we acted in self-defense – a universally recognized principle in international relations and a legitimate right of every nation. Our armed forces began their response two nights ago, and last night you saw further dimensions of it. This will continue. Our missile strikes on military and economic targets in occupied Palestine are solely in self-defense and countering aggression.
On the first night, we targeted only military objectives of the Israeli regime. However, when the Zionist regime escalated its aggression yesterday by attacking economic infrastructure - including the Tehran refinery and facilities in Asaluyeh - we responded last night by striking economic targets and refineries within the occupied territories of the Zionist regime.
The attack on Asaluyeh yesterday was a clear and extremely dangerous act of aggression. Expanding the conflict to the Persian Gulf is a major strategic mistake, likely intentional, aimed at widening the war beyond Iran’s borders. The Persian Gulf is a highly sensitive and complex region, and any military escalation there could engulf the entire region and even the world.
This is what the Zionist regime has initiated since yesterday, and we hope the international community will act swiftly to stop these crimes and aggressions. The Islamic Republic of Iran will continue its strong self-defense, and our armed forces will carry out their duties with full resolve.
Regarding the attack on the Natanz nuclear facility, I have requested the IAEA Director General to convene an emergency meeting. This meeting will take place on Monday, and we hope for a strong condemnation of the Zionist regime for this blatant violation of international law – attacking a nuclear facility – by the Board of Governors.