TEHRAN - Saied Iravani, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, has condemned Israel’s threats against Iran as a flagrant breach of fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter, saying that Tehran has the legitimate right to respond strongly to any threats and unlawful actions by Israel.

In a letter to UN Security Council President Nicolas de Rivière and UN Secretary General António Guterres on Tuesday, Iravani said that the Zionist regime’s threats against Iran are intended to divert attention away from the regime’s grave violations of international humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and avoid accountability.

What follows is the text of his letter:

Further to our letter dated 25 September 2023 (S/2023/697), I would like to bring to the attention of the UN Security Council members the ongoing and blatant violations of international law and the UN Charter by the Israeli regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran as follows:

1) On 30 December 2023, the Prime Minister of the Israeli regime continued to threaten the use of military force against Iran, coupled with the dissemination of misinformation and lies on Iran asserting that "we are acting against Iran all the time, everywhere, I will not go into details."  He further claimed that "…the goal that I have been working for many years... remains the same: to do anything – anything – to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons." This belligerent statement blatantly defies fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter, particularly Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter. It also appears to be aimed at diverting attention from the Israeli regime's ongoing atrocities and severe violations of international humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip and occupied Palestine and evading accountability. Furthermore, this aggressive and belligerent stance is not unprecedented, as the Israeli Prime Minister had previously threatened the use of military force. The latest such violation was on 22 September 2023, during his address in the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly where he openly threatened to use nuclear weapons against Iran. In a letter dated 25 September 2023 (S/2023/697), Iran highlighted this grave violation, emphasizing its significance and calling for robust condemnation from the international community.

2) On 28 December 2023, in an op-ed published by the Wall Street Journal, Naftali Bennett, the former prime minister of the Israeli regime, explicitly admitted Israel's involvement in acts of terrorism and sabotage within Iran's territory. In making groundless allegations against Iran, which are categorically rejected, Naftali Bennett confessed Israel's responsibility for terrorist attacks within Iran, where he stated, "As prime minister, I directed Israel’s security forces to make Tehran pay for its decision to sponsor terror." He claimed that in response to two failed UAV attacks by Iran on Israel, Israel destroyed a UAV base on Iranian soil in February 2022. Further, he alleged that, in March 2022, Iran's terror unit attempted to target Israeli tourists in Turkey. Shortly thereafter, the commander of that very unit was assassinated in the center of Tehran." Such statements undeniably serve as additional evidence, reinforcing the international responsibility of the Israeli regime for its involvement in internationally wrongful acts as well as criminal terrorist acts on Iran’s soil. The Israeli authorities have openly admitted their complicity in conducting assassinations and acts of sabotage targeting Iranian officials, scientists, and civilians. Additionally, the Israeli regime is implicated in destructive operations and sabotage aimed at Iran's peaceful nuclear infrastructure, carried out within Iran's borders. In our previous correspondences, specifically the letters dated 28 July and 7 September 2022 (S/2022/581 and S/2022/679), as well as 3 January and 1 February 2023 (S/2023/9 and S/2023/78), we explicitly addressed and highlighted the Israeli regime's responsibility.

3) The Israeli regime bears full responsibility for all internationally wrongful acts committed against Iran and should be held accountable. Urgent condemnation and decisive action from the international community, especially the UN Security Council, are imperative in response to Israel's terrorist acts and destabilizing activities in the region, especially its ongoing atrocious crimes against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, which pose a grave threat to both regional and global peace and security.

4) The Islamic Republic of Iran firmly reiterates its legitimate and inherent rights, as stipulated by international law and the United Nations Charter, to respond decisively to any threats and unlawful actions originating from the Israeli regime. It also asserts the unyielding determination to exercise these rights to safeguard its security, national interests, and its people against any threats or attacks.

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