Iran says it will hold US responsible for any Israeli attack on its nuclear sites

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran will hold the United States responsible for any Israeli attack on its nuclear facilities after US media reported Israel is preparing for an attack.

“We believe that in the event of any attack on the nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Zionist regime, the US government will also be involved and bear legal responsibility,” Araghchi said in a letter to the United Nations published on Thursday.

Araghchi’s letter follows a CNN report Tuesday that described the US as having “new intelligence suggesting that Israel is making preparations to strike Iranian nuclear facilities.”

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Iran and the US, Israel’s closest ally, will hold a fifth round of nuclear talks on Friday in Rome amid deep disagreement over uranium enrichment in Iran, which Washington says could lead to developing nuclear bombs. Iran denies such intent.

Citing intelligence sources, the CNN report said it was not clear whether Israel had made a final decision on military action and that US officials disagreed about whether the Israelis would ultimately decide to attack.

“Iran strongly warns against any adventurism by the Zionist regime of Israel and will decisively respond to any threat or unlawful act by this regime,” Araghchi said in a letter addressed to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Araghchi said Iran would view Washington as a “participant” in any such attack, and Tehran would have to adopt “special measures” to protect its nuclear sites and material if threats continued, and the watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency would be subsequently informed of such steps.

Although Araghchi did not specify what measures were being considered, an advisor to Iran’s supreme leader said in April that Tehran could suspend cooperation with the IAEA or transfer enriched material to safe and undisclosed locations.

In a separate statement released on Thursday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned Israel would receive a “devastating and decisive response” if it attacks Iran.

“They are trying to frighten us with war but are miscalculating as they are unaware of the powerful popular and military support the Islamic Republic can muster in war conditions,” IRGC spokesperson Ali-Mohammad Naini said.

A collapse of US-Iran negotiations or a new nuclear deal that does not alleviate Israeli concerns about Iran developing nuclear weapons through enrichment could motivate Israeli strikes on its regional arch-foe, diplomats say.

On Tuesday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said US demands that Tehran stop refining uranium were “excessive and outrageous,” and he voiced doubt over whether talks on a new nuclear deal would succeed.

Tehran maintains its nuclear energy program is exclusively for civilian purposes.

Iran and Israel engaged in direct exchanges of fire last year, in April and October, raising the risk of regional conflict.

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