Iran urges UN Security Council to uphold to Resolution 487

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Araghchi has strongly condemned the Israeli airstrike on the Arak Heavy Water Reactor, describing the attack as a blatant violation of international law and the global nonproliferation regime.

In a statement posted on X, Araghchi emphasised that the Arak reactor, currently under comprehensive safeguards by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and constructed strictly according to the technical specifications outlined in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was bombed "in broad daylight" by Israel on June 19, Caliber.Az reports.

“As the Security Council convenes today, it is imperative that it upholds and enforces its own Resolution 487-adopted unanimously in response to the Israeli regime's 1981 attack on Iraq’s nuclear facility,” the foreign minister urged. 

The Arak Heavy Water Reactor—a facility under comprehensive IAEA safeguards and under construction in strict accordance with the technical specifications agreed upon in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to eliminate any proliferation risk—was bombed yesterday in… pic.twitter.com/Gqswk8sKym

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 20, 2025

This resolution explicitly condemns any military attack on nuclear installations safeguarded by the IAEA. Araghchi warned that failure to act now would demonstrate selective application of international law and would place the Council—and Israel—responsible should the global nonproliferation framework collapse.

“The language in that resolution is unambiguous: any military attack on nuclear facilities is an assault on the entire IAEA safeguards regime and ultimately the NPT. It applies not only to past actions but also to future conduct, setting a clear legal standard against the use or threat of force targeting safeguarded nuclear installations,” he underlined. 

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), a cornerstone of global efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and promote peaceful nuclear technology was signed in 1968 and effective since 1970. It categorises nuclear-weapon states as those that tested nuclear devices before January 1, 1967—namely the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom. These states pledge to move toward nuclear disarmament, while non-nuclear-weapon states agree not to seek or develop nuclear arms.

The NPT also guarantees the right of all signatories to access nuclear technology for peaceful purposes under strict IAEA safeguards.

By Sabina Mammadli