TEHRAN- The permanent representative of Iran to the UN has criticized the actions of Israel that are destabilizing the region, and has urged the UN Security Council to hold the Israeli regime responsible for the crimes it has committed in Gaza and other places.

Amir Saeid Iravani addressed a UN Security Council meeting in New York on Thursday, saying, “Israel’s ongoing destabilized and irresponsible actions and atrocities against the nations in the region are a real threat to regional and international peace and security.”

Excerpts from Iravani’s statement at the UN Security Council are as follows: 

We thank the Secretary-General and take note of his remarks. We also thank those members of the Council who condemned the Israeli armed attacks against our diplomatic premises in Syria and acknowledged Iran’s inherent right to respond to such horrific attacks.

As we informed in our letter last night, in response to the Israeli regime's recurring military aggressions, particularly its armed attacks on 1st April 2024 against Iranian diplomatic premises, in defiance of Article 2 (4) of the Charter of the United Nations, the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran carried out a series of military strikes on Israeli military objectives with dozens of missiles and drones.

Iran's operation was entirely in the exercise of Iran’s inherent right to self-defense as outlined in Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations and recognized by international law.

This concluded action was necessary and proportionate. It was precise and only targeted military objectives, and carried out carefully to minimize the potential for escalation and prevent civilian harm.

Regrettably, in this Chamber, certain members of the Council, including the US, the UK, and France have chosen once again to turn a blind eye to reality and overlook the root causes contributing to the current situation.

In hypocritical behavior, these three countries falsely blamed and accused Iran without considering their own failures to uphold their international commitments to peace and security in the region.

Following the Israeli regime's cowardly terrorist and armed attack against our diplomatic premises in Damascus the Syrian Arab Republic, on the first of April, we notified the UN Security Council and Secretary-General of such international wrongful acts as well as of Iran’s inherent right under international law to respond to such terrorist armed attacks (A/78/838-S/2024/281).

Russia proposed a press statement to denounce this atrocious act, which was backed by China, Algeria, and many members, but was blocked by the US, UK, and France. Faced with such circumstances, the Islamic Republic of Iran had no choice but to exercise its inherent right to self-defense under international law.

The root causes of the current situation are clear to all. From the start of the Israeli war against Palestinian people in Gaza, more than 34 thousand civilians, two-thirds of them children and women have been killed. 

All civilian infrastructures have been targeted and destroyed by Israel; even humanitarian workers have not been immune from the military attacks of this rough regime.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has warned time and again about the repercussions of malicious activities of the regime on regional and international peace and security. Iran has exercised maximum restraint. Now, it is time for the occupying regime to bear full responsibility for its consequences. This regime cannot evade accountability.

Israel's ongoing destabilized and irresponsible actions and atrocities against the nations in the region are a real threat to regional and international peace and security.

It is time for the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility and address the real threat to international peace and security. The Security Council must promptly fulfill its duty under Chapter 7 of the Charter in response to Israel's reckless defiance.

It must take urgent and punitive measures to compel this regime to stop its genocide and massacre against the people of Gaza and uphold its obligations especially fully implement the UNSC resolutions and legally binding orders of the International Court of Justice.

As a responsible Member of the United Nations, the Islamic Republic of Iran is committed to the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, reaffirms once more its commitment to the maintenance of international peace and security.

The Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates its consistent position that it does not seek escalation or war in the region.

Iran has no intention of engaging in conflict with the US in the region. We demonstrated our commitment to peace by exercising our restraint about involving the US Army in intercepting Iranian drones and missiles bound for military targets in the occupied Palestinian territories. This underscores our dedication to de-escalating tensions and avoiding the expansion of conflict.

However, if the US initiates military operations against Iran, its citizens, or its security and interests, Iran will use its inherent right to respond proportionately.