Friday World January 01, 2026
Tehran has issued a grave warning, describing recent U.S. threats against Iran's peaceful nuclear program as a blatant violation of international law. Iran asserts that the normalization of such threats will not only destroy the credibility of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) but also inflict deep and lasting damage to the entire global nuclear non-proliferation system.
→ Iran's Permanent Mission to International Organizations in Vienna sent a formal letter to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, clearly stating that the threats repeatedly voiced by U.S. President Donald Trump constitute a “direct assault on the impartiality and independence of international institutions.”
→ Iran also issued strong messages on the social media platform ‘X’ regarding this issue.
Trump's Threats: What Did the U.S. President Say?
Following his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on December 29, 2025, Trump stated:
“I’ve heard that Iran is trying to rebuild its nuclear capabilities. If that happens, we will completely destroy it.”
→ When asked whether he would authorize Netanyahu to attack Iran, Trump replied: “Yes for ballistic missiles. For nuclear weapons — immediately!”
→ Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi described these statements as a “gross violation” of the United Nations Charter and international law.
→ He emphasized that Iran will not hesitate to deliver a “firm and regret-inducing” response to any aggression, invoking its inherent and indisputable right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
→ Iran has formally conveyed its strong objection to these provocative and unlawful threats to the United Nations Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council.
Dangerous Consequences of the Threats: Three Major Risks
1. Severe Crisis to IAEA Credibility The IAEA is a technical and scientific body tasked with impartial evaluation. When major powers exert political pressure on its decisions, its credibility collapses. Iran points out that Director General Grossi's silence during the 12-day war — when Israel and the United States attacked Iranian nuclear facilities — has emboldened Trump and encouraged his latest threats.
2. Collapse of the Global Non-Proliferation Regime
The core principle of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is simple: refrain from building weapons, and in return, receive the right to peaceful nuclear technology. If a country like Iran, which complies with its NPT obligations, still faces threats, the incentive for other nations to honor the treaty will vanish. This greatly increases the risk of secret nuclear programs emerging worldwide.
3. Normalization of Threats as a Foreign Policy Tool
Once threatening legitimate scientific activities of a country becomes routine, the practice will spread to other domains. In the future, nations may routinely use threats and pressure to restrict competitors' scientific, economic, or technological achievements — poisoning the atmosphere of global cooperation, scientific progress, and international security.
Facts About Iran's Nuclear Program
→ Iran's nuclear program operates fully within the framework of the NPT and under continuous IAEA monitoring.
→ Tehran has repeatedly declared that its sole objective is the peaceful use of nuclear energy for:
- Electricity generation
- Production of radioisotopes for medical purposes
- Applications in agriculture and environmental protection
→ Despite this, the United States and some of its allies continue to portray these activities as a threat and employ every possible means — political, economic, and coercive — to obstruct Iran's scientific and technological advancement.
Threats Are Not the Solution — Dialogue Is
Iran's warning is crystal clear: these threats are not merely directed against Tehran; they are shaking the very foundations of the international order.
The real solution lies in three essential principles:
- Respect for international law
- Recognition of the right to peaceful nuclear energy
- Protection of the IAEA's impartiality and independence
→ Threats and coercion do not strengthen global security — they make it far more fragile.
→ Only through dialogue, confidence-building, and multilateral cooperation can the non-proliferation regime be preserved and the erosion of trust in international institutions be halted.
Otherwise, these uncontrolled threats are pushing not just Iran, but the entire world toward a dangerous and unstable future.
Friday World January 01, 2026
Sajjadali Nayani** ✍
