Iran vows commitment to UN's nuclear treaty NPT and peaceful use of uranium

Iran has assured it would continue to be a committed member of the United Nations' Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, shutting down concerns it would abandon the pact, following Israel and US attacks on its nuclear sites.

Moreover, Iran would "continue to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes," said Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht Ravanchi in an interview with German broadcaster ARD on June 22.

Takht Ravanchi dismissed calls for a complete halt to Iran's nuclear program, reiterated "We are sincere members of (the UN Treaty on) the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)," he was quoted as saying by Tasnim News Agency.

He also reiterated that no one could tell Iran what it should and should not do as long as it remained within the framework of the NPT.

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said in a statement on June 22 that the three sites in Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz came under a "brutal assault" that "violates international law," particularly the NPT of which Iran is a signatory.

The agency said the "unlawful action" was carried out because of the "indifference" or "complicity" of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The AEOI statement came shortly after US President Donald Trump took to social media to claim responsibility for the attacks on the three Iranian nuclear sites

The AEOI statement further assured the Iranian nation that with the efforts of thousands of its revolutionary and motivated scientists and experts, "it will not allow the path of development of this national industry to be stopped."

Pursuing its diplomatic channel, Iran on June 22 filed a complaint against Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN nuclear agency, accusing him of "indecision" on Israeli attacks on nuclear sites in the past week.

Grossi briefing an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the US damage to Iran's facilities on Sunday, said IAEA inspectors are in Iran, but they need a cessation of hostilities to go to nuclear sites, assess damage, and protect nuclear materials and equipment, The Times of Israel reported.

The US and Israel have accused Iran of trying to build nuclear weapons, allegations it has repeatedly denied. On June 22, the US joined Israel in bombarding Iran's military and nuclear sites. The attacks came as Iranian diplomats were negotiating with the US as well as European powers.

Takht-Ravanchi said that "there is no point in continuing dialogue" during ongoing attacks on Iran. "We do not negotiate for the sake of negotiating," he said.

In Moscow, Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, says that Iran has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, like any other country.

Zakharova stressed that the non-diversion of Iran's nuclear program has been repeatedly verified by the IAEA, according to the Tasnim agency.

She went on to say that the only nuclear-armed entity in the Middle East is Israel, which has repeatedly ignored efforts to establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone. This is while Iran does not possess such weapons but is being targeted by the US and Israel, she said.

Jan Yumul contributed to this report.