New York — Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations has launched a blistering attack on France, accusing Paris of rank hypocrisy over its handling of Iran’s nuclear program while turning a blind eye to Israel’s illicit nuclear arsenal.
In a sharply worded letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the President of the UN Security Council, dated August 7, envoy Saeed Iravani condemned France for “brazenly ignoring” its obligations under Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) while vilifying Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities. The envoy argued that France’s posture exposes the West’s entrenched double standards, which for decades have undermined global disarmament efforts.
Iravani accused France of actively enabling Israel’s clandestine nuclear weapons program by refusing to acknowledge its existence, let alone call for inspections or accountability. He said Paris has never once demanded that Israel join the NPT or accept full monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency, a silence that, in his view, amounts to tacit approval of nuclear lawlessness in the Middle East.
The envoy also cited France’s refusal to condemn the June 12 attacks on Iran’s IAEA-safeguarded nuclear facilities, which Tehran has blamed on Israeli sabotage. The omission, he argued, reflects a pattern in which Western powers shield Israel from international scrutiny while weaponizing the NPT to pressure states that refuse to bow to Washington and Tel Aviv’s dictates.
By highlighting France’s contradictory stance, Iran has sought to reframe the nuclear debate around the unchecked proliferation risks posed by Israel, a state that not only remains outside the NPT but is actively engaged in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. According to Tehran, any genuine commitment to non-proliferation would begin with dismantling Israel’s undeclared arsenal rather than obstructing Iran’s safeguarded program.
According to Mehr News, the letter was formally lodged with the UN leadership on August 7, with Iran’s mission reiterating its call for France and its Western allies to end their double standards, honor their NPT disarmament pledges, and hold Israel accountable under international law.
