Amir Saeid Iravani made the remarks on Monday, speaking at a meeting of the UN Security Council that took place at Iran’s request to address the issue of the attacks against defensive targets across Tehran, Khuzestan, and Ilam Provinces, which were successfully thwarted by the country’s Air Defense Force.
“As a sovereign state, the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its inherent right to respond at a time of its choosing to this act of aggression, a right clearly affirmed under Article 51 of the UN Charter,” he said, echoing various Iranian authorities’ promise of retaliation against the aggression.
“Our response will be lawful, and fully compliant with international law,” Iravani added.
He denounced the Israeli atrocities as “egregious and severe violation of international law and the United Nations Charter” that led to the martyrdom of four Iranian servicemen and one civilian.
The envoy considered the aggression to be part of the regime’s broader and sustained pattern of aggression through which it is destabilizing the entire West Asia region with unchecked impunity.
He cited the regime’s October 2023-present war of genocide on the Gaza Strip and escalated deadly attacks against Lebanon as the prime examples of the atrocities.
‘US complicit in Israeli crimes’
Iravani regretted that the United States, the regime’s biggest ally, had emboldened Tel Aviv towards perpetrating the aggression with its “unwavering and unconditional” support and obstruction of the Security Council’s efforts at holding the regime accountable.
He considered the US to be “complicit” in the regime’s acts of aggression across the region due to its provision of technical expertise and advanced military systems to Tel Aviv.
The support and the resultant Israeli insistence on committing the crimes “gravely undermine regional peace and security,” the ambassador asserted.
He called on the international community and institutions, including the Council, to take decisive measures to respond robustly to such threats and restore peace and security throughout the region and the world.
“The international community cannot—and must not—remain silent in the face of such violations. The price of this silence is evident in Palestine and Lebanon, where Israel’s impunity perpetuates a vicious cycle of violence and instability across the region.”
Iravani, meanwhile, condemned the regime’s backers for supporting its atrocities as acts of “self-defense,” while “shamelessly” calling on the Islamic Republic to exercise self-restraint.