In a letter sent to the forum’s presidency, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, warned of the threat that these attacks represent for international peace and security while further destabilizing an already fragile region. “Iran, in accordance with the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and international law, reserves its inherent right to respond legally and legitimately to these criminal attacks at the appropriate time,” he added.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed that his country is not seeking war, although he warned that they will defend their rights. “We will give an appropriate response to the aggression of the Zionist regime,” he stressed.
On this matter, the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, urged to stop the continued escalation in the Middle East, describing the attacks unleashed by Israel in the early hours of Saturday as alarming.
A statement from Guterres expressed deep concerns over the regional war that is already affecting Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank, and reiterated his call for a ceasefire and to deploy “maximum efforts to avoid a total regional war and return to the path of diplomacy.”
Over the weekend, the Israel Defense Forces attacked Iranian military installations with at least five fatalities and limited damage in Tehran and several points in the country, according to Iranian authorities. The Air Defense responded to what was described as “an attempted attack by the Zionist regime.”
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