Iran’s UN atomic envoy has denied any intention to resume uranium enrichment for a nuclear weapon, labeling the US-Israeli strikes on its Bushehr plant as a "war crime" under international law.

Iran is not seeking to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels, according to its envoy to the United Nations atomic watchdog. Reza Najafi (pic), Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, made the statement in an interview, The Caspian Post reports, citing foreign media.

He also asserted that US-Israeli strikes on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant constitute a “war crime”. Israel and the United States have long accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons.

US President Donald Trump cited this threat to justify last year’s conflict and the ongoing war. Najafi argued that justification alleging Tehran sought bomb-grade enrichment was a “lie”.

He denied that Iran had “restarted enrichment” following strikes on its nuclear facilities in June 2025. “We didn’t start the claim that Iran would like to restart the enrichment, we didn’t restart enrichment, and it was a lie, a very big lie, like the other lies,” the envoy said.

Najafi insisted targeting nuclear energy infrastructure violates international law. He warned a radioactive leak could contaminate water and force civilian evacuations.

The Bushehr plant was hit for a third time in 10 days, according to the IAEA. The agency reported no radiation leak or reactor damage from the late Friday strike.

“Any attack on the nuclear power plant in Bushehr would be in clear violation of international law, international humanitarian law,” Najafi said. “Even during the war, it is prohibited to attack the facilities for use of the civilians, and such an attack would be a very big crime, a crime against humanity, a war crime.”

First connected to the grid in 2011, the Bushehr plant houses Iran’s only operational nuclear power reactor. The IAEA has urged all parties in the Middle East war to exercise restraint around nuclear sites.