WANA (Apr 07) – Iran has formally called on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to adhere to the principles of good neighborliness and prevent their territory and airspace from being used for attacks against the Islamic Republic, in two separate letters sent to the United Nations Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council.

 

Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, stated in the letters that, according to monitoring and assessments conducted by Iran’s armed forces, aggressors have continued to use the territory and airspace of both Saudi Arabia and the UAE to plan, prepare, equip, and carry out what Tehran described as unlawful military attacks against Iran.

 

Referring to the international responsibility of states for allowing their territory to be used for acts of aggression or armed attacks against a third country, Iravani said Iran strongly and unequivocally protests what it described as these illegal actions. He urged both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to uphold the principles of good neighborliness and stop any continued use of their territory against the Islamic Republic.

 

In the letter concerning Saudi Arabia, Iran listed what it described as specific examples of the use of Saudi airspace in operations against Iranian territory. These included flights by U.S. F-16, F-35, and F-15 fighter jets on March 24, 2026, as well as missions involving U-2S reconnaissance aircraft, a P-8A maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, and a KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft operating in northeastern Saudi Arabia in support of attacking warplanes.

 

In the separate letter regarding the United Arab Emirates, Tehran claimed that on March 23, 24, and 28, 2026, a series of reconnaissance, intelligence support, and aerial strike operations were carried out through UAE airspace. According to the letter, these involved U.S. U-2S reconnaissance aircraft, F-35, F-15, F-16, and F-18 fighter jets, as well as P-8A patrol aircraft that allegedly supported attacks on targets inside Iran.

 

In both letters, Iran stressed that while it remains committed to the principle of good neighborliness and respects the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, it reserves the right to take “all necessary and proportionate measures,” including the exercise of its “inherent right of self-defense,” in order to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence.

 

That language marked the most significant political message in the letters: beyond a diplomatic protest, Tehran signaled that if its neighboring states continue to allow their soil or airspace to be used in operations against Iran, the issue could be treated not merely as a political dispute, but as complicity in facilitating aggression.

 

Iravani also requested that both letters be circulated as official documents of the UN Security Council, indicating that Tehran is seeking to elevate the matter beyond bilateral protest and formally place it on the record within the UN’s legal and political framework.

 

The letters come amid heightened tensions in recent weeks, during which Iran has repeatedly warned about the indirect role of some regional actors in enabling attacks on its territory. By explicitly naming Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Tehran has now significantly raised the level of that warning.