Iran says UN attack from Israel ‘must not go unanswered’

Iran’s top diplomat has condemned Israel’s unprecedented attack on multiple military sites in the Islamic Republic and vowed to respond to the latest escalation amid a year-long conflict in the Middle East in a letter obtained by Newsweek.

The letter was attributed to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and sent on Saturday to United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres and President of the UN Security Council Pascale Christine Baeriswyl through Iran’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani.

It came less than 24 hours after the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced “precise and targeted attacks on military targets in a number of areas in Iran,” in response to the Iranian missile attack on Israel on October 1. was also depicted as retaliation for previous Israeli operations in the region, including the assassination of top Iranian and allied personnel.

In the letter, Araghchi urged the UN leadership to “condemn the unlawful and aggressive actions of the Zionist regime, which constitute a serious violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a blatant violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.”

Such attacks also pose “a serious threat to international peace and security and further destabilize an already fragile region,” Araghchi said.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran, in accordance with the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and under international law, reserves its inherent right to a lawful and legitimate response to these criminal attacks at the appropriate time,” it added Araghchi added.

Newsweek has contacted the IDF for comment.

The extent of damage suffered by Iran as a result of the first-ever recognized Israeli attack on Iranian territory remains uncertain. Both sides have hailed the achievements of their respective armed forces as victories.

After the operation was completed, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said Friday that the Israeli Air Force targeted “missile production facilities that Iran has used in its attacks on the State of Israel over the past year” and “Iran’s surface-to-air missiles.” arrays and Iranian air capabilities intended to limit Israel’s freedom of air operations in Iran.”

He said that “Israel now has broader air freedom to operate in Iran” and that “we will be obliged to respond” if Iran chooses to launch a new round of retaliation.

Iranian officials and media have played down the scale of the attack, which is said to have targeted locations in Khuzestan, Ilam and Tehran provinces. Iran’s military issued a statement on Saturday saying most of the enemy missiles had been successfully intercepted, although some locations were hit and four soldiers were killed during the operation.

Araghchi relayed these results to the UN leadership, stating: “If Iranian air defenses had not been successful, Israeli aggression could have resulted in significant losses.”

He added: “In light of the consequences of the Israeli regime’s continued and systematic aggression, the Islamic Republic of Iran urges the Secretary General of the United Nations and the Security Council to take a firm stand and to condemn the Israeli regime for committing these acts of aggression. This firmly and unequivocally demonstrates to the international community that such blatant violations of international law and the UN Charter will not go unanswered.”

“In addition,” Araghchi said, “the Islamic Republic of Iran requests the President of the Security Council to convene an urgent meeting to address this serious violation and unlawful actions and ensure the accountability of this criminal regime.”

The attack was yet another example of the decades-long conflict between Iran and Israel, which for a long time took place in the shadows and is now increasingly taking the form of a direct confrontation.

Since Hamasa Palestinian militant group, launched a massive surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Iran and its Axis of Resistance allies have launched attacks on the country from Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen to pressure Israel toward a ceasefire in the Palestinian territories. Gaza Strip. The spreading conflict has caused Israel to expand its targeting of enemies abroad in both claimed and unclaimed operations.

Although Iran has long aided non-state actors opposed to Israel, the Islamic Republic was thrust directly into the fold for the first time in early April after Israeli warplanes killed senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials in Tehran’s embassy complex in the Syrian capital Damascus. Less than two weeks later, the IRGC, in coordination with several factions of the Axis of Resistance, launched a combined missile and drone attack on Israel.

The IDF reported that most of the incoming projectiles were intercepted and little damage was sustained. Days later, Israel carried out an airstrike on an air defense site near Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility in Esfahan.

In late July, Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas’s Political Bureau, was assassinated in Tehran after attending the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Israel has not directly claimed responsibility for his death, but the act is widely attributed to its intelligence services, which have a track record of conducting operations in Iran.

The conflict continued to escalate over the next two months, with another unclaimed attack on Israel taking place in September, causing the explosion of communications equipment used mainly by the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, killing dozens of people in Lebanon and the Iranian ambassador was seriously injured. That same month, the IDF killed Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah and IRGC General Abbas Nilforushan in an airstrike in Beirut.

Shortly after the IDF announced the start of a ground offensive in southern Lebanon, Iran launched a second, larger-scale missile attack on Israel in early October. Again, the IDF said most attacks were intercepted, although some direct hits were detected at locations such as Nevatim Air Base.

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to respond, some of the targets discussed included Iran’s nuclear, oil and military infrastructure. However, the White House appeared to discourage attacks on nuclear and oil sites due to fears of further escalation and possible consequences.

After the latest Israeli attack, a senior presidential official said Joe BidenThe US government told reporters on Friday that the US was ready to assist Israel against any further Iranian attacks, but also stated that “this should be the end of direct military exchanges between Israel and Iran.”

“As far as direct military exchanges between Israel and Iran are concerned, we believe this should complete that direct exchange,” the senior administration official said. “And again, should Iran choose to respond, we are fully prepared to defend Israel and support Israel, and there will be consequences if Iran makes that unfortunate decision.”