Iran’s Ambassador: We Do Not Recognize the Security Council’s Action Against Iran
WANA (Mar 12) – Amir Saeid Iravani, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations, following the adoption of an anti-Iran resolution in the UN Security Council, described it as “a clear injustice against Iran” and said: “We do not recognize today’s action by the Security Council.”
The Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations said Wednesday afternoon local time at the Security Council meeting:
“This resolution is undoubtedly a clear injustice against my country — a country that has been the principal victim of a blatant act of aggression. This text distorts the realities on the ground and deliberately ignores the root causes of the current crisis.”
Iravani stated that the real objective of the biased and politically motivated draft resolution pushed forward by the Israeli regime and the United States is completely clear: to reverse the position of the victim and the aggressor.
“This resolution rewards the regimes of the United States and Israel, which have violated the UN Charter and committed acts of aggression.”
The permanent representative of Iran to the United Nations emphasized that this thereby institutionalizes impunity and sends the wrong message to the international community — a message that emboldens aggressors to commit even more blatant crimes.
The Iranian ambassador to the UN stated: “Accordingly, we do not recognize today’s action by the Council. We consider it an unjust and illegal act that is incompatible with the UN Charter and international law and that completely disregards the established principles governing the determination of acts of aggression and breaches of peace.”
The senior diplomat of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the United Nations warned: “Make no mistake: today it is Iran’s turn; tomorrow it may be the turn of any other independent state.”
UN Security Council Passes Anti-Iran Resolution Amid War
WANA (WANA 11) – The United Nations Security Council, during its Wednesday meeting local time, on the twelfth day of U.S. and Israeli military attacks against Iran, adopted a resolution against the Islamic Republic of Iran—an action that drew sharp criticism from Tehran. The draft resolution was submitted by Bahrain on behalf of the […]
Full Statement of the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations
In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
At the outset, I must express my deep regret over today’s action by the Security Council. Today is an extremely regrettable day for the Security Council and for the international community. The adoption of today’s resolution deals a serious blow to the credibility of the Council and leaves a lasting stain on its record.
Today’s action is a clear example of the abuse of the Security Council’s mandate in order to advance the political agendas of certain members. Ironically, the very country responsible for this savage war of aggression against my country — namely the regime of the United States of America — is sitting on the other side of this chamber as the President of the Council and, by abusing its position, has blocked any effort to end this barbaric war against the people of Iran and has prevented the Council from fulfilling its Charter-based responsibilities.
Let me be clear: this resolution is undoubtedly a clear injustice against my country — a country that has been the primary victim of a blatant act of aggression. This text distorts the realities on the ground and deliberately ignores the root causes of the current crisis. The real objective of this biased and politically motivated resolution pushed forward by the Israeli regime and the United States is completely clear: to reverse the position of the victim and the aggressor.
This resolution rewards the regimes of the United States and Israel, which have violated the UN Charter and committed acts of aggression. In doing so, it entrenches impunity and sends the wrong message to the international community — a message that emboldens aggressors to commit even more blatant crimes.
Accordingly, we do not recognize today’s action by the Council. We consider it an unjust and illegal act that is incompatible with the UN Charter and international law and that completely disregards the established principles governing the determination of acts of aggression and breaches of peace.
Make no mistake: today it is Iran’s turn; tomorrow it may be the turn of any other independent state.
We appreciate the constructive efforts of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China. Those members who voted in favor of this resolution — particularly the European members of the Council, including France, the United Kingdom, Greece, Denmark, and Latvia — have demonstrated that their repeated claims about defending the UN Charter and the principles of international law are nothing more than empty words and hollow slogans.
These members did not even show the minimum courage necessary to identify the perpetrators of aggression — namely the Israeli regime and the United States — while speaking about violations of the Charter and international law and commenting on international peace and security.
By deliberately ignoring the violation of the most fundamental principle of the UN Charter — the prohibition of the use of force — these members have once again shown that, in their view, respect for the Charter and international law is selective and subject to political agendas.
Their hypocritical and irresponsible conduct once again shows that political considerations take precedence over their alleged commitments to international law and the UN Charter. It is clear that these countries are merely implementing political instructions issued from Washington rather than exercising independent judgment and decision-making.
Unfortunately, some members — by distorting the realities and facts on the ground — made an obvious and cynical attempt to portray Iran as the guilty party and to accuse and condemn my country, while ignoring the root causes of the current situation and whitewashing the horrific crimes and military aggression of the United States and Israel — particularly the killing of 170 schoolgirls in Minab — as if Iran had started this war.
We categorically and strongly reject all baseless and politically motivated accusations raised by some members against my country that lack any legal foundation. The objective of these accusations is clear: to distort reality and divert the attention of the international community from the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Israeli regime and the United States against the people of Iran — crimes that continue to be committed.
However, the facts tell a different story and speak loudly and clearly.
In this regard, I would like to emphasize the following points:
First
The root cause of the current situation is clear and simple: on 28 February 2026, the United States and the Israeli regime launched a military attack against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which constitutes a blatant violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter and the peremptory norm prohibiting aggression.
This is an illegal, illegitimate, and unprovoked war that began with the terrorist and cowardly assassination of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the highest official of an independent UN member state, along with several senior government officials, and resulted in thousands of civilians being killed and wounded.
This aggression was accompanied by coordinated attacks against military and civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, residential buildings, sports facilities, public service centers, and relief centers throughout the country. These acts constitute flagrant violations of international law and serious breaches of international humanitarian law.
Senior officials of the aggressor states — including the President of the United States and the criminal Prime Minister of Israel — have publicly confirmed and justified these attacks, thereby openly accepting responsibility for this unlawful act of aggression.
Since 28 February 2026, the ongoing military attacks of the United States and the Israeli regime have resulted in the martyrdom of more than 1,348 civilians, including women and children, the injury of more than 17,000 civilians, and the destruction or damage of 19,734 civilian sites.
These include 16,191 residential houses, 1,617 commercial and service centers, 77 medical and pharmaceutical centers, 65 schools and educational institutions, 16 Red Crescent buildings, and several energy infrastructure facilities.
The scale and systematic nature of these attacks clearly constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Second
In response to this deliberate and unjustified aggression, the Islamic Republic of Iran has exercised — and continues to exercise — its inherent right of self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Given the failure of the UN Security Council to fulfill its duties and responsibilities under the Charter, Iran has conducted necessary and proportionate defensive operations against the aggressors’ bases and facilities in the region.
Such actions are fully lawful under international law and had been clearly and repeatedly warned about in advance through various channels and at different levels.
Our response is lawful, necessary, and proportionate. Iran targets only the military objectives of the aggressors. Our assessments indicate that some of these incidents may have been caused by interceptions by United States defensive systems, which caused them to deviate from their intended military targets.
Third
Since the beginning of this aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran by the United States and the Israeli regime, the aggressors have also used the territory and facilities of some third states in the region to conduct unlawful military attacks.
Under a fundamental principle of international law, states are prohibited from knowingly allowing their territory to be used — directly or indirectly — to cause harm to other states.
Moreover, UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 (1974) explicitly recognizes that allowing one’s territory to be used by another state to commit aggression against a third state constitutes an act of aggression.
States must take all necessary measures to prevent foreign armed forces stationed on their territory from committing acts of aggression against other states and must not facilitate or support such acts.
If these obligations are violated, the state whose territory was used will bear international legal responsibility, including liability for compensation for direct and indirect damages.
Similarly, actions taken by the United Kingdom and some other states outside the region under the so-called right of individual or collective self-defense have no legal basis and are entirely unjustifiable under international law.
Fourth
The aggressors — particularly the United States — are obliged to provide full compensation for damages resulting from the ongoing violations against Iran and its citizens.
Furthermore, the individual criminal responsibility of the President of the United States and any American officials involved in grave violations of international humanitarian law — including directing intentional attacks against civilians and civilian targets — is undeniable.
Fifth
The Islamic Republic of Iran remains committed to maintaining friendly relations with the Persian Gulf countries based on mutual respect, good-neighborliness, and respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Iran once again emphasizes that its defensive operations against United States military bases and facilities in the region are in no way directed against the sovereignty or territorial integrity of regional countries.
Iran, as one of the founders of the United Nations, has always respected international law and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and claims that Iran intends to close the strait are simply false.
At the same time, Iran will never renounce its rights under international law to protect its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and vital national interests in whatever way it deems necessary.
Sixth
The Council must confront the real source of the threat to regional and international peace and security and act without delay to stop this bloody war against the people of Iran.
The Council must compel the aggressors — the United States and Israel — to immediately cease all military attacks against Iran, including attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, and ensure full accountability for these grave violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes.
Thank you.
