VIENNA/ANKARA/MOSCOW: Iran has formally complained that its rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) are being ignored, accusing member states of expecting Tehran to uphold voluntary obligations while its nuclear facilities are targeted with impunity. According to Iran’s mission to the UN in Vienna, reported by state media outlet IRNA, such expectations are “unjustified” when Israel — a non-NPT member — continues to strike Iranian nuclear infrastructure.
Meanwhile, diplomatic activity surrounding the Iran-Israel conflict intensified on Monday. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan held a phone conversation in which both leaders strongly condemned Israel’s recent attacks on Iran, calling them “acts of force” and urging an immediate end to hostilities. The Kremlin warned that continued escalation poses grave long-term risks for the wider region.
Turkish President Erdogan also reached out to Iranian President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian, expressing Turkey’s readiness to act as a facilitator in restarting stalled nuclear negotiations. Ankara has positioned itself as a potential bridge between Tehran and the West in hopes of de-escalating the growing confrontation.
Amid rising regional tension, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz clarified earlier provocative statements by asserting that Israel has no intention of deliberately harming Tehran’s civilian population. “There is no intention to physically harm the residents of Tehran,” Katz said, while stressing that any military action would focus strictly on regime and security infrastructure.
As international efforts to contain the crisis gain momentum, the geopolitical stakes surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme and its regional entanglements continue to heighten.