The key facts

  • Iran accused the US of waging an 'unlawful war against an aggressor' at a UN Security Council meeting
  • Darzi stated that no Security Council resolution can override the right to self-defense
  • Tehran warned of an 'immediate and decisive response' to new attacks by the US or Israel

Speech at the UN Security Council

Iran's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Gholamhossein Darzi spoke at a Security Council meeting devoted to the situation in the Middle East. He accused the US of waging an 'unlawful war against an aggressor' against Tehran and stated that Washington has no 'legal, political, or moral grounds' to lecture or accuse Iran. 'The United States is the aggressor, not the victim,' the diplomat said.

Accusations Against the US and the West

Darzi accused Washington of unleashing a war against Iran in violation of the UN Charter and the fundamental principles of international law, as well as of violating the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, bombing civilian infrastructure, threatening to destroy the Iranian population, and imposing a military and naval blockade. He leveled charges of 'double standards and hypocrisy' against the Western members of the Security Council, saying their statements portray 'aggressors' as victims and ignore the root causes of regional tension.

Right to Self-Defense and Diplomacy

The Iranian diplomat emphasized that no Security Council resolution can deprive a UN member state of the 'inalienable right to self-defense in the face of an armed attack.' He rejected suggestions that Tehran was unprepared for a diplomatic settlement, stating: 'Iran has never closed the door to diplomacy.' At the same time, Darzi warned that any new military action by the US or Israel would receive 'an immediate and decisive response without hesitation, directed at the source of aggression, wherever it may be.'