Iran says it reserves right to respond to Israeli attack ‘at appropriate time’
Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israel of violating Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Iran’s foreign minister said in a letter requesting an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that his country reserves the right to respond to Israel’s recent attacks “at the appropriate time”.
Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israel of violating Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and “a flagrant breach of international law and the United Nations Charter”, which prohibits the use of force against any UN member nation.
Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon called Iran’s request “another attempt by Iran to harm us, this time in the diplomatic arena”.
“We will stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself,” he said in a statement, stressing that the Israeli attack was in response to an Iranian attack on October 1.
The Security Council scheduled a meeting for Monday afternoon at 3pm EDT (1900 GMT) at Iran’s request, which was supported by Russia, China and Algeria, the Arab representative on the UN’s most powerful body.
Mr Araghchi urged the Security Council and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in the letter obtained by The Associated Press “to take a firm stance and condemn the Israeli regime for committing these acts of aggression strongly and unequivocally”.
Israel’s airstrikes early on Saturday followed Iran’s launch of at least 180 missiles into Israel on October 1. The Iranian airstrikes were in retaliation for devastating blows Israel landed against Iran’s ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.
