TEHRAN — June 22, 2025 | By M10News Foreign Desk
Iran has pledged to defend its sovereignty “by all force and means” following what it calls a “criminal act of aggression” by the United States, after U.S. airstrikes targeted three of the country’s key nuclear facilities overnight.
In an official statement released early Saturday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry denounced the coordinated attacks on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan sites as a “flagrant breach” of international law and demanded that the United Nations Security Council convene an emergency session to condemn the strikes.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is resolved to defend its territory, sovereignty, security and people by all force and means against the United States’ criminal aggression,” the statement said, which was widely circulated through official Iranian media and confirmed by Sky News.
The escalation marks the most direct military confrontation between the two nations in years and risks igniting a broader conflict across the Middle East.
Claims were echoed by regional observers and foreign correspondents, including Sky News, which reported the Iranian government has formally lodged a diplomatic protest with the UN and is pressing for a multilateral response to what it deems an “act of war.”
Footage aired by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB showed apparent damage to sections of the Fordow facility, which lies deep beneath the Alborz mountains.
Local officials in Qom and Isfahan also confirmed the activation of anti-air defence systems during the strikes, although precise casualty figures have not yet been disclosed.
Sky News, citing sources inside the UK’s Foreign Office, reported that British intelligence had been briefed on the planned U.S. operation but did not participate in the strikes.
The outlet also noted that both China and Russia have called for restraint, urging Washington and Tehran to avoid further escalation.
President Donald Trump addressed the nation late Friday, describing the strikes as a “spectacular military success” and warning Iran that any future retaliation would be met with a far greater response.
“Fordow is gone,” he said, adding that the military objective was the “destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity.”
The foreign ministry has framed the strikes not only as a violation of sovereignty but also as a calculated attempt to undermine the country’s standing under the 2015 nuclear framework — a deal that collapsed in 2018 following U.S. withdrawal under Trump’s first term.
“The aggression is a direct violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231,” the ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeed Iravani, stated in a letter obtained by Sky News. “We demand an emergency session to address this breach and to hold the aggressors accountable.”
The coming days are likely to test the diplomatic resolve of international actors. Analysts say Iran may choose to respond asymmetrically — possibly through regional proxies — rather than confrontation. But for now, the Islamic Republic has made clear its intention to frame the U.S. actions as not only unlawful, but destabilising to global peace efforts.
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Published in coordination with verified reporting from Sky News (UK)
