Iran has said that it will hold the US responsible for any Israeli attack on its nuclear sites.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, issued the warning on Thursday, May 22, 2025, after reports appeared in the America media claiming US intelligence understood Israel was planning an attack on Iranian nuclear sites – with or without American support – if the talks broke down.
The report may be accurate or alternatively an attempt by the US to strengthen its negotiating hand before the indirect talks in Rome, which are being mediated by Oman.
Israel has repeatedly said it will attack Iran’s nuclear sites, while Donald Trump has said the US will do so if the talks break down.
Araghchi said in a letter to the United Nations, “Iran strongly warns against any adventurism by the Zionist regime of Israel and will decisively respond to any threat or unlawful act by this regime.”
He said that Iran would view Washington as a “participant” in any such attack, and Tehran would have to adopt “special measures” to protect its nuclear sites and material from any attacks or sabotage.
Araghchi said that the UN nuclear inspectorate, the IAEA, would only be subsequently informed of such steps.
“I have called on the international community to take effective preventive measures against the continuation of Israeli threats, which if unchecked, will compel Iran to take special measures in defence of our nuclear facilities and materials.”
Abbas Araghchi
He added that the nature, content, and extent of Iran’s actions will correspond and be proportionate to preventive measures taken by these international bodies in accordance with their statutory duties and obligations.
In a separate statement released on Thursday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said that Israel would receive a “devastating and decisive response” if it attacked Iran.
Guards Spokesperson Alimohammad Naini said, “They are trying to frighten us with war but are miscalculating as they are unaware of the powerful popular and military support the Islamic Republic can muster in war conditions.”
Iran, US To Hold Fifth Round Of Nuclear Talks
The US and Iran are due to hold indirect talks on Friday, May 23, 2025, in Rome in what would be their fifth round of nuclear talks over a possible deal that could see Tehran limit or end its enrichment of uranium, in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.
This comes amid deep disagreement over uranium enrichment in Iran, which Washington says could lead to developing nuclear bombs.
Israel has repeatedly opposed such an agreement between the US and Iran.
However, Iran says it has a right to enrich under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and argues there is no reason for it to be treated unlike any other state.
Iran’s Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Tuesday that US demands for Tehran to stop refining uranium were “excessive and outrageous”, his most unequivocal statement that Iran will not abandon the capacity to enrich.
He also said that he did not expect the talks with the US to succeed.
The US Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, has insisted that Washington’s red line is that Iran must end all uranium enrichment. In the 2015 deal with six world powers, from which Trump withdrew in 2018, Iran had been allowed to enrich to 3.67% purity, sufficient for producing fuel for commercial nuclear power plants.
Iran has since enriched to 60%, bringing it close to the purity required to make a nuclear bomb.
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