TEHRAN – Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani sent a letter to the president of the UN Security Council dismissing allegations by Israel against Iran in the UN body.

“I am writing to you in reference to the UN Security Council's emergency meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, which was held on 5 January 2023 (S/PV.9236). During the meeting, the Security Council was presented with unjustified references and unfounded accusations against the Islamic Republic of Iran levelled by a representative of the Israeli regime,” Iravani wrote in the letter. 

He added, “The representative of the Israeli regime has feverishly attempted to exploit the Security Council platform once more by resorting to lies and fabrications accusing Iran of malicious activities that this regime itself has committed and continues to commit against regional countries.”

Iravani continued, “While Iran categorically denies these unjustified accusations, it believes that the purpose of such baseless accusations is to divert the international community’s attention away from the ongoing atrocities and serious violations of international law committed by the Israeli Apartheid regime against the Palestinian people,  especially its recent incursion into the Al-Aqsa Mosque on 3 January 2023 which violated not only the sanctity and worship rites of the Mosque but also constituted a brazen provocation of the emotional state of the Muslim Ummah.”

The Iranian ambassador also expressed regret that Israel continues to violate human rights. “It is regrettable that, due to a lack of accountability, the Israeli regime continues to commit serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Palestine-occupied territory, including systematic and flagrant acts of sacrilege as well as the desecration of Al-Quds Al-Sharif holy sites, in full view of the international community while also being fully aware that it will not face any consequences.  If the international community, particularly the Security Council, remains deafeningly silent regarding the Israeli regime's ongoing aggressions, the regime will be emboldened to carry on with more atrocities and aggression. Any sacrilege and desecration of Muslim holy sites that also results in the distress and disturbance of Muslims around the world is repulsive and should not be tolerated,” Iravani said. 

He concluded, “We urge the Security Council to condemn the Israeli regime's ongoing violations and atrocities in Palestinian-occupied territory, as well as to compel this lawless regime to strictly adhere to international law, including relevant United Nations resolutions.”

In early January, Iravani had sent a similar letter to the president of the UN Security Council. “I would like to draw your attention to Israel's ongoing breaches of international law and the UN Charter against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Israeli regime continues to threaten to use force against Iran, the most recent of which are statements made by regime authorities openly threatening to use force against Iran's peaceful nuclear programs,” he said in this letter, dated January 3.

He added, “On 28 December 2022, Benny Gantz, outgoing Defense Minister of the Israeli regime, declared, ‘Israel has significantly increased its preparedness in recent years and is preparing for the possibility of an attack on Iran’. Similarly, Yair Lapid, departing Prime Minister of the Israeli regime, repeated the same hostile tone and claimed, ‘No Israeli Government will allow a nuclear Iran. If it is necessary to act, we will act’. Furthermore, on 27 December 2022, Aviv Kohavi, Chief of Staff of the Israeli regime, remarked, ‘The level of preparedness for an operation in Iran has dramatically improved.’ These inflammatory and belligerent statements threatening to use force against Iran's peaceful nuclear programs, which have been under the most stringent and intrusive nuclear verification, monitoring and transparency measures ever implemented in a country in the IAEA's history, are a flagrant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter, specifically Article 2(4) of the Charter.”

Iravani continued, “This is not the first time the Israeli regime has threatened to use force against Iran. As emphasized in Iran's letter dated 27 July 2022 (S/2022/581), this regime has already blatantly and openly admitted its responsibility for the terrorist and destructive operations committed against Iranian officials, scientists, civilians, and its peaceful nuclear infrastructure by this illegitimate regime inside Iranian territory in recent years. Indeed, such warmongering statements demonstrate that the Israeli regime is responsible for all criminal and terrorist acts committed against Iran and must bear the consequences.”

The ambassador noted, “While warning against the Israeli regime's military adventurism against Iran in order to pursue its malign policies in the region, the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its legitimate right, in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter, to respond to any threat posed by the Israeli regime and protect its people as well as national security interests at any time it deems appropriate.”