Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused European leaders of pressuring the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to publish an accusatory report on Iran, which he claims bears a share of the blame for Israel’s subsequent attack on the country. The report, which found Iran in violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), was allegedly leveraged by Western powers to justify the Israeli airstrikes.
Lavrov alleged that European nations, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the United States, influenced IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to issue a critical assessment of Iran’s nuclear program, creating a pretext for the Israeli attack. The strike occurred shortly after the IAEA declared Iran in breach of its NPT obligations, despite Iran’s insistence that its uranium enrichment efforts are for peaceful purposes.
Speaking at the Primakov Forums in Moscow, Lavrov accused Western leaders of exerting neocolonial influence over international organizations, asserting that many have become tools of Western interests rather than impartial arbiters of global issues. He argued that the IAEA’s actions were not neutral but rather driven by geopolitical considerations, which indirectly enabled the Israeli military operation.
The attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities has drawn strong condemnation from Moscow, which labeled it an illegitimate act of aggression. Meanwhile, the recent ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump has been welcomed by the Kremlin, though there is concern it may not hold. The situation highlights the complex interplay between international diplomacy and military conflict, with significant geopolitical implications.