Iran nuclear chief denies Iran threatened to build bomb if attacked
The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization on Tuesday rejected comments by the UN nuclear watchdog chief suggesting Iran had warned it might pursue a nuclear weapon if attacked by Israel.
“No one in Iran has said that if Israel attacks, we will build a nuclear bomb,” Mohammad Eslami said in a televised interview. “As far as I know, such a statement has never been made.”
His remarks followed comments by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, who told Israeli broadcaster i24News: “Such an attack might have an amalgamating effect which would make a determination on the part of Iran to go to a nuclear weapon or to abandon the treaty on non-proliferation. I’m telling you this because they have told me.”
Eslami said Iran's military had previously warned of a response to any attack on its nuclear sites, but dismissed the idea that it included nuclear weapons. “There was a warning last year, when Israeli officials said they would strike our nuclear facilities. Our armed forces said they would respond in kind—but nothing more,” he said.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi and the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Mohammad Eslami, Tehran, March 2022.
Iran’s parliament warned on Tuesday that any resolution passed by the UN nuclear watchdog’s Board of Governors would severely damage ongoing nuclear negotiations and said the United States should bear the cost of what it called hostile agency actions.
In a statement read out in an open session of parliament, lawmakers accused Washington of coordinating with Israel to pressure Iran and described the current diplomatic track as a “strategic trap.” They urged the Iranian negotiating team to remain vigilant and reject any proposal that undermines Iran’s rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
“The Islamic Consultative Assembly warns that the issuance of any resolution by the IAEA Board of Governors would deeply disrupt the negotiation process, and it is the United States that must be held accountable for the agency’s hostile conduct,” the statement said.
“The available information and reports about the negotiations indicate that the United States is not serious at all. The purpose of the talks has become imposition and coercion, and the US has adopted insulting positions completely contrary to the legitimate rights of the Iranian people,” the statement added.
Lawmakers reaffirmed that Iran’s right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes is non-negotiable, and reiterated that, under Iranian law, only a deal that provides lasting sanctions relief and tangible economic benefit would be acceptable.
They also voiced support for the Iranian negotiating team, and called on officials not to give in to what they described as threats or “the delusions of the enemies of the Iranian nation.”
Lawyers of a South Korean woman allegedly raped by Iranian athletes during the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships say Seoul has full jurisdiction over the case, which may lead to life sentences under domestic sexual violence laws, rejecting any external pressure for a settlement.
In a response to Iran International, the legal team at TAERYUN Law Firm said Korean criminal law clearly applies to the case as the alleged assault occurred on South Korean soil.
“Korean criminal law applies to offenses committed within Korea, regardless of nationality or whether the crime occurred during an international competition,” the law firm said.
“No international sports event, diplomatic immunity, or any kind of honor can overshadow the pain of the victim. We will stand by the victim until the end so that she does not suffer alone.”
The suspects—two athletes and one coach from the Iranian delegation—remain in custody after being arrested at a hotel in Gumi on May 31. According to Iranian media, the athletes claimed partial consent; however, authorities rejected that defense and detained all three men.
Grave criminal case, not a diplomatic sideshow, law firm says
TAERYUN is pursuing the case under Articles 297 and 298 of South Korea’s Criminal Act (rape and forcible molestation), crimes that can carry penalties of up to life imprisonment. The firm also said that the case may qualify for aggravated charges under special provisions for sexual offenses.
“This is not a simple legal dispute but a fight to protect the victim’s life,” TAERYUN said. “We will resolutely oppose any external pressure or attempts at settlement.”
The law firm stressed that the victim is suffering from severe psychological trauma, and efforts are underway to protect her identity and mental well-being under Article 30 of the law concerning sexual crimes.
“The victim’s wishes must be fully respected and her protection must be the top priority,” TAERYUN added, warning against any attempt to repatriate the suspects.
Pressure builds in Iran
The case has generated a firestorm of controversy in Iran, where public protests and growing scrutiny of Iran’s sports leadership are prompting officials to distance themselves from the accused and call for resignations.
Earlier in the month, Ahmad Rastineh, spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s Cultural Committee, confirmed that the Minister of Sport, Ahmad Donyamali, had been summoned to explain the incident.
“It was decided that an urgent report on the incident and the violations that occurred be submitted to the Cultural Committee,” Rastineh said.
He added that preliminary investigations revealed mismanagement by team supervisors and that disciplinary action would include suspending the head of the delegation’s security, as well as the team’s head coach and supervisor, until the case is resolved.
Meanwhile, Rouhollah Lak-Aliabadi, spokesman for the Parliament’s Sports Faction, told protesters gathered outside the Iranian parliament that key officials must resign in the wake of the scandal.
“Those responsible must be held accountable. They must resign,” Lak-Aliabadi said in a widely shared video, responding to family members of Iranian athletes demanding the dismissal of senior sports officials.
He criticized public remarks downplaying the seriousness of the incident and rebuked former national football coach Mohammad Mayelikohan’s comment that “this happens in other countries too,” saying: “It may be ordinary elsewhere, but it is not normal for Iran, and we will take this very seriously.”
File photo of Ehsan Haddadi
Allegations against federation president resurface
The scandal has reignited long-standing accusations against Ehsan Haddadi, president of Iran’s Athletics Federation. Haddadi, a former Olympic medalist, has faced past allegations, including an unresolved claim of sexual assault.
Protesters outside the parliament accused Hadadi of failing to oversee athlete conduct and accused him of traveling with personal guests while delegating responsibility.
One woman at the demonstration told lawmakers:“I have a young daughter. Yet a bachelor who has an open sexual assault case, was made a federation director. On his first trip with the national team, he abandoned athletes and brought a personal guest.”
Multiple rallies have been held by members of Iran’s track and field community, with thousands signing petitions calling for Haddadi’s removal, citing both the latest incident and past misconduct allegations.
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya urged Iran not to miss the chance to reach a nuclear agreement with the United States during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, Japan’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
In the 30-minute call, the two ministers held what Tokyo described as a candid exchange of views on Iran’s nuclear program. Iwaya stressed Japan’s strong hope for a peaceful resolution and called on Iran to take concrete steps to meet its obligations under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards agreement.
He also expressed Japan’s commitment to continue diplomatic efforts to help resolve the issue.
According to the Japanese statement, Araghchi explained Iran’s position and efforts. The Iranian foreign ministry has not issued a statement.
US President Donald Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cease public discourse about attacking Iran, Haaretz reported on Tuesday citing a source involved in talks between the two leaders.
The source also said that Netanyahu had requested the White House end ongoing negotiations for a nuclear deal with Iran.
According to the source, Trump told Netanyahu to "drop the subject" of a military strike against Iranian nuclear reactors from public discussion. The source added that Netanyahu would not receive a "green light" for such an attack in the near future.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands with US President Donald Trump after signing the Abraham Accord in Washington, US, September 15, 2020.
Iran said it will respond firmly to any politically motivated or unlawful action against its nuclear program, as Western powers push for a non-compliance resolution at the UN nuclear watchdog’s Board of Governors meeting in Vienna.
