Iran accuses US and Israel of violating UN Charter, pledges firm response

Istanbul — Iran on Saturday accused the United States and Israel of conducting military aggression and termed the assault a violation of sovereignty and a breach of Article 2, Section 4 of the United Nations Charter.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry stated in a declaration that the attack targeted defence infrastructure and civilian locations across several cities and occurred whilst Tehran and Washington were engaged in diplomatic processes.

The ministry stressed that Iran had prioritised diplomacy to prevent war, but “the time has now come to defend the homeland” and that the armed forces would respond in a “firm and strong manner.”

Tehran asserted its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter and called upon the UN Security Council and the international community to condemn the combined US-Israeli attack and take urgent action.

Israel and the US launched a joint assault on Iran on Saturday in the early morning hours local time, stating that the measure aimed to eliminate alleged threats posed by the “Iranian regime.”

Iran’s state television also reported that Iran was preparing a “firm response” to Israel following the attack by the Zionist authorities on the country’s territory.

In a brief statement posted through its official Telegram account, the broadcaster stated: “Iran is preparing a firm response to Israel.”