TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi strongly criticized Washington’s recent announcement to resume nuclear weapons testing, calling it a reckless and setback that threatens global security.
In a statement released Thursday, Araghchi criticized the United States for renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of the Army, and described the country as a “nuclear-armed bully.” He noted that the United States targeted Iran’s peaceful nuclear program in June while simultaneously proceeding with its own nuclear weapons test, an action he said is in flagrant violation of international law.
“The same bullies are demonizing Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities and threatening our secure facilities, all in blatant violation of international law,” Araghchi said. He also said the United States represented “the world’s most dangerous nuclear proliferation risk” and warned that new U.S. nuclear tests endangered international peace and stability.
Arraguchi called on the international community to hold Washington accountable for perpetuating nuclear proliferation and urged countries to come together against what he described as a dangerous precedent.
The warning follows remarks by US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, in which he emphasized that the US nuclear arsenal is the largest in the world, and attributed that achievement to updates and upgrades made during his administration. President Trump acknowledged the destructive power of nuclear weapons and expressed his reluctance to test nuclear weapons, saying, “I didn’t want to do it, but I had no other choice.”
President Trump also justified his decision by citing other countries’ nuclear programs and directed the newly renamed Department of the Army to begin testing immediately. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance supported the policy, telling reporters outside the White House, “Making sure that this nuclear arsenal that we have is actually working properly is a critical part of the national security of the United States. Let me be clear: We know it is working properly, but we need to continue to manage it over time, and the president just wants to make sure we do that.”
In June, President Trump repeated baseless claims that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi has repeatedly confirmed that there is no evidence that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, consistent with Iran’s own statements and the agency’s official reports.
On June 13, in an unprovoked and brazen act of aggression, Israel targeted Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists who were on the sanctions list based on an IAEA report. Israel also killed civilians.
On June 22, U.S. forces bombed nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan in violation of the United Nations Charter, international law, and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).