Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia has accused the United States and Israel of fabricating claims about Iran’s nuclear program as a pretext for launching illegal airstrikes. Addressing the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Nebenzia condemned the attacks as violations of international law and warned they pose a significant risk of radioactive contamination.

Nebenzia pointed to reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as evidence that Iran is not pursuing a nuclear weapons program. “Not a single IAEA report contains any indication that Iran is diverting its nuclear materials for undeclared or military use,” he said.

He criticized the military action as another attempt to “legitimize the use of force outside the framework of the UN Charter,” arguing that such tactics dangerously undermine global stability.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, in a recent interview with Sky News, stated that while Iran’s uranium enrichment to 60% was cause for concern, there was “no proof of any systematic effort” by Tehran to build nuclear weapons.

Israel, however, has continued to assert that its strikes, which began on June 13, were necessary to stop Iran from reaching nuclear weapons capability. Speaking at a press conference in New York, Israeli envoy Danny Danon defended the campaign as a preventative measure.

In response, Iran has strongly denied the accusations and condemned the attacks as acts of aggression. The Iranian government also announced that it would scale back cooperation with the IAEA, calling the strikes an unacceptable violation of its sovereignty.

A US-mediated ceasefire between Iran and Israel came into effect on Tuesday and has so far held, though tensions in the region remain high.