Iran's envoy cautions UN over Israel's 'desperate' attempts to justify aggression

Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani says the Israeli regime levels baseless accusations against the Islamic Republic in a “desperate” attempt to justify its unlawful acts of aggression in the region.

Iravani made the remarks in a letter addressed to the UN secretary-general and the president of the Security Council on Thursday in response to remarks made by the representative of the Israel regime in a letter to the United Nations, which contained “unfounded accusation” against the Islamic Republic.

“This represents another desperate attempt by the Israeli regime to distort reality and mislead the Security Council by portraying the aggressor as the victim, while concealing its own grave violations of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and to justify its own unlawful acts of aggression against Lebanon and other countries in the region,” Iravani said.

The Islamic Republic “categorically rejects these unjustified references and baseless accusations”, and regards them “as nothing more than a pretext to justify Israel’s persistent violations … and its persistent violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon, as well as atrocious war crimes committed by the regime against innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure in Lebanon.”

Since March 2, Israel has killed around 2,300 people, wounded more than 7,500, and displaced over 1.2 million, according to Lebanese authorities.

The letter emphasized that the Israeli regime “has demonstrated a persistent and deliberate refusal to comply with its international obligations and to cease its grave and ongoing violations”, which have been formally documented by the Beirut government in its communications to the UN.

Israel “resorts to fabricating baseless allegations in a desperate attempt to justify its unlawful occupation of Lebanese territory as well as its continued, systematic violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”, it added.

Iravani stressed that the Israeli regime is “the main source of instability and insecurity in the region” and poses “a direct and serious threat to international peace and security."

He also warned that Israel’s continued immunity “only deepens regional tensions, threatens international peace and stability, and erodes further the credibility of international law and the UN Charter.”

The Iranian ambassador urged the Security Council to adopt “a firm and unequivocal position” against the Israeli crimes and violations, saying it “must compel Israel to comply fully and immediately with its obligations under international law, including the cessation of all violations.”

He also called for holding the occupying regime accountable for “all its acts of aggression, its systematic violations of the Charter of the United Nations, international law, in particular international humanitarian law, and for committing egregious war crimes against nations in the region, including Iran.”

Otherwise, he warned, the regime will be emboldened to persist in its “unlawful and destabilizing conduct.” 

The US and Israel and launched an unprovoked war of aggression against the Islamic Republic on February 28.

After 40 days of fighting, US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire which included Lebanon.

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