Iranian FM rebukes UN chief’s “audacious” remarks on nuclear program

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, sharply criticized United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his “audacious” comments regarding Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities.

In a post on his X account, Araqchi condemned Guterres for lecturing Iran, which, as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the 2015 nuclear agreement (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA), is pursuing a civilian nuclear program, Caliber.Az reports per Iranian media.

Araqchi also referenced a fatwa issued by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, which prohibits the production, possession, and stockpiling of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).

“It is audacious to preach that Iranians must ‘once and for all make it clear that they will renounce to have nuclear weapons,’” Araqchi wrote, asserting that Iran's “longstanding commitment to the global nonproliferation regime is clear.”

Guterres made his comments at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 22, discussing the situation in West Asia. The UN chief urged Iran to make it unequivocally clear that it does not seek to develop nuclear weapons. “The most relevant question is Iran and relations between Iran, Israel, and the United States,” Guterres remarked.

“Here my hope is that the Iranians understand that it is important to once and for all make it clear that they will renounce to have nuclear weapons, at the same time that they engage constructively with the other countries of the region.”

Araqchi responded by shifting focus to Israel, highlighting its actions in the region. He emphasized that the more pressing issue in West Asia is Israel's ongoing military aggression against Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian, Syrian, and Lebanese territories.

Araqchi also warned of the dangers posed by Israel’s nuclear capabilities, noting that Israel’s nuclear arsenal—estimated to consist of 200 to 400 warheads—remains unacknowledged by the state, which has refused to join the NPT or allow inspections of its nuclear facilities.

Israel is the only country in the region believed to possess nuclear weapons, and its refusal to engage with global nonproliferation efforts has raised significant concerns.

By Vafa Guliyeva