TEHRAN, June 23. /TASS/. The US attack on Iran's nuclear facilities is criminal and illegal, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ismail Baghaei said.

"For us Iranians, the US attack on our peaceful nuclear facilities, which were under the protection of a safeguards agreement and under the full and permanent control of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is an illegal and criminal act. No person or organization can justify this aggression in any way," he said at a briefing.

"Military aggression against Iran violates international law, the UN Charter, and all norms of international humanitarian law. Every government should properly characterize these events, coordinate with its position [on the world stage], and take the necessary measures to combat this blatant brutality and dangerous lawlessness," the spokesman added.

Overnight into June 13, Israel kicked off Operation Rising Lion aimed against Iran’s nuclear program. Less than 24 hours later, Iran launched a retaliatory attack. In the following days, Tel Aviv and Tehran exchanged strikes again. Both sides reported casualties resulting from these attacks and acknowledged hits on several targets within their territories, though they claimed the damage was limited.

In the early morning hours of June 22, President Donald Trump announced that the US had successfully attacked three Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.