WANA (Jul 24) – Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi declared at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, that Iran has never initiated a war and never will. He stressed that, under international law, the Islamic Republic reserves the right to take all necessary measures in self-defense and considers “the source of any aggression against the Iranian nation” a legitimate target for defensive action by its armed forces.

 

Addressing the meeting, Araghchi described the SCO’s 25th anniversary as an opportunity to deepen regional cooperation, strengthen multilateralism, and expand collaboration among member states. He criticized what he called growing unilateralism, the unlawful use of force, unilateral sanctions, and the politicization of economic and financial mechanisms, arguing that the SCO should play a stronger role in defending national sovereignty, equality among states, and the rule of law in international relations.

 

Turning to recent regional tensions, Araghchi accused the United States and Israel of carrying out repeated military attacks against Iran between June 2025 and February–April 2026. He claimed that the February 28, 2026 attack killed Iran’s Supreme Leader and members of his family. He also alleged that strikes on a school in Minab and a sports complex in Lamerd killed civilians, including students and young athletes, describing the attacks as grave violations of international humanitarian law.

 

The Iranian foreign minister further stated that attacks on schools, hospitals, critical infrastructure, and even peaceful nuclear facilities under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had failed to provoke an effective international response. He argued that these attacks occurred while Iran was actively pursuing diplomacy and negotiations, saying that “the response to diplomacy came not through negotiations, but through military attacks,” a development he said undermines confidence in peaceful dispute resolution.

 

Araghchi also criticized what he described as the silence or ambiguous positions of parts of the international community, arguing that failing to condemn such actions encourages further violations of international law. According to him, responsibility extends beyond the direct perpetrators to those providing political, military, or intelligence support.

 

He reiterated that Iran exercised its inherent right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter, emphasizing that the country’s foreign policy remains based on dialogue, good-neighborly relations, and regional cooperation. Lasting peace, he said, can only be achieved through mutual respect, impartial implementation of international law, and genuine adherence to international commitments.

 

The foreign minister also accused the United States of violating the Islamabad Memorandum, alleging that attacks on transportation infrastructure, drinking water facilities, fishing boats, commercial vessels, meteorological centers, and other civilian infrastructure constituted clear breaches of international law and international humanitarian law. He further claimed that renewed U.S. involvement in security arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz and the reimposition of a naval blockade had threatened one of the world’s most strategic waterways and disrupted international commercial shipping.

 

Araghchi stressed that security in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz should be ensured through cooperation among regional countries rather than the presence of extra-regional military forces. He also warned that any state participating in or assisting acts of aggression against Iran would bear international legal responsibility. Reaffirming Tehran’s position, he said Iran reserves the right to take all necessary measures in self-defense and considers the source of any aggression against the Iranian people a legitimate target for defensive operations.

 

The Iranian foreign minister also condemned Israel’s continued military operations in Lebanon, describing them as violations of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as breaches of the Islamabad Memorandum. On Gaza, he called for an immediate end to attacks on civilians, the lifting of the blockade, unrestricted humanitarian access, opposition to any forced displacement of Palestinians, and support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

 

Addressing Afghanistan, Araghchi described the country’s stability as one of the SCO’s most important shared security and development concerns. He called for closer regional cooperation to combat terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, transnational organized crime, and humanitarian challenges, while expressing support for initiatives aimed at establishing a stable, inclusive, and terrorism-free Afghanistan. He also urged an end to tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

 

Concluding his remarks, Araghchi called for the SCO to expand beyond political and security cooperation toward a comprehensive economic, financial, technological, and development-oriented partnership. He emphasized the need to strengthen trade, investment, banking cooperation, independent financial mechanisms, regional transport corridors, and supply chain resilience.

 

Highlighting Iran’s strategic geographic position, Araghchi said the country is ready to serve as a key transit hub linking Central Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and international waters, offering its capabilities in transport corridors, energy security, regional trade, and broader economic cooperation to fellow SCO member states.