Tehran: Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi has sharply criticized what he called the ‘Western hysteria’ over nuclear proliferation in Iran while keeping silent on Israel’s expansion of its nuclear weapons arsenal.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, in a post on X, Araghchi argued that the real issue for Western powers is not the existence of civilian nuclear capabilities but rather ‘who gets to advance scientifically, even with peaceful nuclear programs.’ He emphasized that Western powers are selectively vocal, pointing out their silence on Israel’s nuclear activities.

Araghchi stated that there is a ‘deafening Western silence’ regarding the apparent expansion of the only nuclear weapons arsenal in the region, referring to Israel as a ‘genocidal ally.’ He criticized the E3 and the US for their denial and claimed their silence undermines any credibility they might have to speak on non-proliferation matters.

The remarks followed reports from experts analyzing satellite imagery, which revealed in
tensified construction on a new building at a site central to Israel’s nuclear weapons program. Experts suggested this could be a new reactor or a facility to assemble nuclear arms.