'Great violation of international law': IAEA members condemn Israel

A number of member countries of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a statement condemning Israel's attack at an exceptional IAEA meeting on Monday, Venezuela's permanent representative to the IAEA Claudia Salerno Caldera told CGTN and other media.

"The large majority of the countries of the board and also observers are considering this aggression by Israel unlawful," Salerno said. These military strikes against nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards "constitute a great violation of the international law, the UN charter and the statues of the IAEA."

After the IAEA reported the destruction of above-ground facilities at Iran's nuclear Natanz site, the UN's nuclear watchdog IAEA on Monday released further damage details at another nuclear enrichment plant Israeli forces struck on Friday.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said that four buildings at Iran's Esfahan nuclear facilities were damaged during Israel's Friday attacks, including a uranium conversion plant, the central chemical laboratory, the Tehran reactor fuel manufacturer plant and the UF4 to EU metal processing facility.

Agency chief Rafael Grossi said there was no sign of further damage at Iran's Natanz or Fordow enrichment plants. While radiation levels outside the sites remained normal, within the Natanz facility there was both radiological and chemical contamination, Grossi said.

Iran's permanent representative to the IAEA Reza Najafi said Iran will continue to respond with full force against Israeli attacks, referring to its right to self-defense.

"The IAEA and its Director-General had a clear responsibility to take effective preventive and deterrence measures," Najafi said during a break at Monday's IAEA meeting. 

"The board must condemn Israeli aggression in its strongest terms and hold it accountable. Otherwise, consequences would be with those appeasing this aggressor child-killer regime."

The IAEA says it will remain present in Iran with safeguard inspections resuming as soon as safety conditions allow as required under Iran's nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty obligations.

Iranian officials however responded that expectations Tehran will continue its voluntary commitments to the treaty are "unjustified" when its nuclear facilities are freely targeted by a non-member.