ALWAGHT- Russia has accused the UN and IAEA of employing double standards regarding nuclear facility attacks, highlighting that repeated Israeli-US strikes on Iran's Bushehr plant have faced no consequences, yet the Security Council met to condemn a drone strike near a UAE reactor.
Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told an emergency Security Council briefing that the May 17 drone strike near the UAE's Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, while dangerous, is far from the first attack on a civilian nuclear facility in the Middle East. He reminded the council that in June 2025, "Israel and the United States carried out direct strikes targeting industrial facilities and research centers on Iranian soil" in Fordo, Natanz, Isfahan, and Arak. Nebenzia also noted that following the onset of "US-Israeli aggression against Iran" on February 28, strikes were launched against the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant on March 17, 24, 27, and April 4 — with the April 4 attack killing an Iranian security officer.
The Russian envoy took aim at UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who expressed alarm over the Barakah incident but "never deemed it necessary to somehow react to the numerous attacks targeting the Bushehr Plant." Nebenzia called such double standards "utterly unacceptable." He placed ultimate blame for regional instability on Washington and Israel, stating: "It is abundantly clear that we would not be discussing today the threats to nuclear safety emerging in the Middle East, were it not for the US-Israeli military misadventure targeting Iran." He added that "it is indeed Washington and West Jerusalem that bear responsibility for the current regional escalation."
Nebenzia called on all parties to "abandon the language of threats" and return to political and diplomatic settlement, with Russia ready to provide assistance. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said US-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure came close to triggering an "irreparable tragedy," adding: "It is horrifying that those who committed this atrocity not only do not feel responsible but also continue to intimidate Tehran." She criticized the IAEA leadership for "verbal acrobatics and false political correctness," demanding "clear assessments and concrete steps" to prevent threats to nuclear security.
