USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, Sept. 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Iran on Thursday warned it would hold the United States responsible for any Israeli attack on its nuclear facilities, following reports that Israel could strike Iranian nuclear sites if ongoing negotiations between Washington and the Islamic regime fail.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sent a letter to the United Nations threatening to relocate Iran’s nuclear material to undisclosed sites to safeguard it from a possible Israeli military strike.

“Iran strongly warns against any adventurism by the Israeli Zionist regime and will respond decisively to any threats or unlawful actions by this regime,” the letter read.

“We also believe that if any attack is carried out against the nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Israeli regime, the US government will be complicit and bear legal responsibility,” the top Iranian diplomat wrote.

In a letter to the UN SG & UNSC, Iran’s Foreign Minister warned of catastrophic consequences after alarming reports emerged quoting U.S. sources that the Zionist regime of Israel is preparing to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities and sites. He urged an urgent, decisive response & a… pic.twitter.com/SEo1BEJwgw

— I.R.IRAN Mission to UN, NY (@Iran_UN) May 22, 2025

If Tehran moves its nuclear material to undisclosed locations, it could derail ongoing negotiations by denying the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) — which has sought to maintain access to monitor the country’s nuclear program — the ability to conduct crucial inspections.

Araghchi’s latest remarks came amid escalating tensions ahead of this week’s renewed negotiations between the US and Iran in Europe.

This week, CNN and Axios reported that Israel is preparing for a potential strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities if talks between Washington and Tehran collapse in the coming weeks.

In a statement on X, Araghchi warned that if the international community fails to take “preventive measures” against Israel, Iran would be compelled to take “special measures in defense of [the country’s] nuclear facilities and materials.”

Threats from the rogue Israeli regime are nothing new. But the recent leak citing US officials as divulging Israeli plans for an unlawful attack on Iran and its nuclear facilities is alarming and warrants immediate and serious condemnation from the UN Security Council and the…

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) May 22, 2025

After concluding their fourth round of nuclear talks in Oman last weekend, Araghchi and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff are set to hold a fifth round of negotiations in Rome on Friday, with Oman’s foreign minister serving as mediator.

So far, diplomatic efforts have stalled over Iran’s demand to maintain its domestic uranium enrichment program — a condition the White House has firmly rejected.

“We have one very, very clear red line, and that is enrichment. We cannot allow even 1 percent of an enrichment capability,” Witkoff said in an interview with ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.

On Tuesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected US demands to halt uranium enrichment as “excessive and outrageous,” warning that the talks are unlikely to yield results.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Tehran has no viable “Plan B” should the current nuclear negotiations fail, according to a senior Iranian official.

While the Iranian diplomat said the country’s strategy would include strengthening ties with allies like Russia and China, neither Beijing nor Moscow can be counted on as fully reliable partners, given Beijing’s trade war with Washington and Russia’s focus on the war in Ukraine.

Ahead of Friday’s talks in Rome, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to uphold any agreement that prevents Iran from enriching uranium and obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“But in any case, Israel maintains the right to defend itself from a regime that is threatening to annihilate it,” Netanyahu said in a press conference.

On Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, described negotiations with the White House as “difficult,” accusing Washington of not adhering to any “conventional diplomatic norms” and contradictory actions.

“Imposing sanctions while claiming to pursue a diplomatic path with the Islamic Republic of Iran is itself evidence of their lack of seriousness and goodwill,” the Iranian diplomat said in a statement.

“This reality proves that American policymakers maintain a hostile attitude toward the Iranian people, and their claims of commitment to dialogue and diplomacy should not be taken seriously,” Baghaei continued.

As part of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran — which aims to cut the country’s crude exports to zero and prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon — Washington has been targeting Tehran’s oil industry with mounting sanctions.

In April, Tehran and Washington held their first official nuclear negotiation since the US withdrew from a now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal that had imposed temporary limits on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanction relief.