TEHRAN- The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the legitimate and inherent right to take all necessary measures in response to any threat or attack originating from the Israeli regime against its national security and interests, as well as its people, according to Amir Saeed Iravani, Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the UN.

In a letter to Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, and President of the Security Council Yamazaki Kazuyuki on Thursday, Iravani categorically rejected the accusations made against Iran by the Israeli regime’s representative to the UN, noting that the Israeli foreign minister used deceit, disseminated false information, and made baseless accusations against Iran.

The full text of the letter is as follows:

I am writing to you regarding the letter dated 22 February 2024 from the representative of the Israeli regime to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council transmitting a letter from the Israeli Foreign Minister addressed to the President of the Security Council. In the letter, the Foreign Minister of the Israeli regime resorted to lies, spread misinformation, and leveled unfounded allegations against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The accusations in the letter are entirely baseless and are categorically rejected. This letter represents yet another cynical attempt by the Israeli regime to deflect the attention of the international community from the ongoing egregious atrocities and acts of genocide committed by this apartheid regime against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.  It is also a misleading effort aimed at covering up and legitimizing Israel’s aggression against Lebanon and its continual breaches of international law, the United Nations Charter, and UNSC Resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1701 (2006) by leveling unfounded allegations against Iran.

While strongly warning about any military adventurism or malicious activities by the Israeli regime in the region, the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its legitimate and inherent right, in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter, to take all necessary measures to respond to any threat or attack originating from the Israeli regime against its national security and interest and its people. Iran also reaffirms the inherent right of the Syrian Arab Republic and Lebanon under international law to take all necessary measures in response to any threat or attacks and acts of aggression by the Israeli regime against its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.

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

Iran underlines Afghanistan need for inclusive government

Addressing the UN Security Council briefing on “the situation in Afghanistan”, held in New York on Wednesday, Iravani said the de facto authorities in Afghanistan have failed to advance genuine ethnic and political inclusivity.

“Instead, they have imposed stricter limitations on women and girls, restricting their educational opportunities. Additionally, attacks on minority people such as the Hazara Shiites continue, as confirmed by the UN report,” he said.

Iravani went on to add, “We stress the importance of prioritizing and carefully addressing the legitimate concerns of neighboring countries in all initiatives aimed at engaging with de facto authorities.”

“These include the establishment of an inclusive government, safeguarding the rights of all ethnic groups, combating terrorist groups, preventing illegal immigration, and addressing drug production and trafficking. These concerns, to some extent accommodated in the independent assessment (S/2023/856), which underscores positive elements and recommends coherent engagement with de facto authorities,” the Iranian envoy said.

He also noted, “An inclusive government in Afghanistan can help tackle many problems, like stopping conflicts and reducing the number of Afghan refugees moving to neighboring countries. It sets a foundation for stability and security in Afghanistan and helps protect human rights, especially those of women. For Iran, a crucial sign of an inclusive government is improving the lives of Afghan people and bringing back refugees, which sadly has gotten worse in the last two years, causing us significant hardship.”

“Challenges like terrorism, drug trafficking, and border control deficiencies continue and threaten the stability of Afghanistan and its neighbors,” he noted, adding, “The threat of terrorist groups is causing concern to the neighbors. Regrettably, de facto authorities have yet to implement their obligations to combat terrorism.”

“Iran as an immediate neighbor still faces challenges with illegal immigration. The migration of millions of Afghans to Iran has brought a burden to our country under sanctions. Unfortunately, the international community and individual countries have shown little sensitivity to this issue,” the envoy continued. 

Iravani concluded by saying, “Furthermore, Iran has been denied access to even the most basic border monitoring equipment under the pretext of sanctions. This underscores the differing priorities and concerns of neighboring countries and the global community regarding Afghanistan.”