TEHRAN – The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations has sent a letter to the president of the UN Security Council in response to an Iraqi official who accused Iran of violating Iraq's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Amir Saeid Iravani said Iran did not violate Iraq’s sovereignty. The full text of the letter issued on Monday is as follows: 

Further to the letter dated 10 October 2022 (S/2022/748), and in reference to the recent United Nations Security Council’s briefing on "the Situation Concerning Iraq" held on 2 February 2023 (S/PV.9253) where the representative of the Republic of Iraq accused Iran of violating Iraq's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, I would like to bring the attention of the United Nations Security Council to the following points:

As has been stated in our letter (S/2022/748), the Islamic Republic of Iran has exercised its inherent right to self-defense under international law in order to protect its people, national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity from armed and terrorist attacks that were planned and backed by certain armed and terrorist groups based in the Iraqi Kurdistan region. The Islamic Republic of Iran acted in a manner that complied fully with international humanitarian law. Therefore, the assertion made against Iranian armed forces in paragraph 56 of the Secretary General's recent report on the implementation of resolution 2631 (2022) in Iraq contained in document S/2023/68 is unfounded and is categorically rejected. The Islamic Republic of Iran remains committed to its international humanitarian law obligations.

 In the meantime, during the aforementioned Security Council briefing, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Iraq and some Member States made reference to the Iraqi national football team's championship by using a fictitious and false name for the Persian Gulf. It should be noted that the name "Persian Gulf," which has been in use since antiquity, is the only name that accurately describes the body of water that lies between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Respect must be shown for this name, which is known and utilized by reputable cartography organizations. As a result, it is against established historical and geographical norms to use any false or fictitious name, even for a sporting event.

I should be grateful if you would have the present letter circulated as a document of the Security Council.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.