![Russian UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia speaks during a United Nations Security Council emergency meeting in New York on June 22, 2025, one day after US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. [Bryan R. SMITH / AFP / Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/GettyImages-2220793518.jpg?fit=920%2C600&ssl=1)
Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, has criticised Israel for not being subject to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection programme, as it is not a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Nebenzia made the remarks during an emergency session of the UN Security Council held on Sunday to discuss the recent US attacks on Iran.
He warned that accepting the recent US actions would undermine all the progress the international community has made in the field of nuclear non-proliferation.
He stressed that Israel’s non-membership in the NPT means the IAEA cannot implement a comprehensive inspection regime on its territory.
Describing the situation, the Russian envoy said it was “ugly and cynical.”
He also described the US strikes on Iran as “irresponsible, dangerous and provocative acts,” and confirmed that Russia “condemns these attacks in the strongest terms.”