Attack on Iranian nuclear facility constitutes outrageous violation of int'l law: Russian spokesperson

MOSCOW, March 21 (Xinhua) -- The attack on the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, Iran, constitutes an outrageous violation of international law, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement on Saturday.

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran reported that Israel and the United States had targeted the Natanz uranium enrichment complex earlier on Saturday, with no leaks reported.

"Despite well-publicized claims that Iran's nuclear program had been 'completely destroyed' in the U.S. airstrikes as early as June last year, the uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, which is under IAEA safeguards, came under attack again," Zakharova said.

"This is an outrageous violation of international law, the UN Charter, the IAEA Statute, and relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the IAEA General Conference," she said in a statement.

She stressed that the United States and Israel continued to launch massive strikes against Iranian military, civilian and nuclear facilities, disregarding both civilian casualties and potential radiological and environmental consequences.

Moscow urges the international community, including the UN and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to give an unbiased and uncompromising assessment of these irresponsible actions that pose real risks of a catastrophe across the entire Middle East and are explicitly aimed at further undermining peace, stability and security in the region, she said. ■