Iran’s top diplomat condemned Israel’s unprecedented attack on multiple military sites across the Islamic Republic and asserted Tehran’s right to respond to the latest escalation amid a year-long Middle East conflict in a letter obtained by Iran. lasted. news week.

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

Less than 24 hours have passed since the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it would carry out “precision and targeted strikes on military targets in various regions of Iran”, reportedly in response to Iran’s October 1 missile attack on Israel. It has also been cited as retaliation for previous Israeli operations in the region, including assassinations of senior Iranian and Iran-allied personnel.

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

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

“The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to respond lawfully and legitimately to these criminal attacks at the appropriate time, in accordance with the principles embodied in the United Nations Charter and international law,” Araghchi said. he said.

news week Reached out to the IDF for comment.

The extent of the damage suffered by Iran as a result of Israel’s first acknowledged attack on Iranian territory remains unclear. Both sides hailed their forces’ performance as a victory.

Following the end of the operation, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on Friday that the Israeli Air Force targeted “missile production facilities used by Iran in its attacks against the State of Israel last year” and “Iran’s surface-to-air missile.” “Series aimed at restricting Israel’s freedom of air operations in Iran and Iran’s air capabilities.”

He said that “Israel now has greater freedom of air operations in Iran” and that “we will have to respond” if Iran chooses to launch a new round of retaliation.

Iranian officials and media downplayed the extent of the attack, which was said to target areas in Khuzestan, Ilam and Tehran provinces. The Iranian military said on Saturday that some areas were hit and four soldiers were killed during the operation, but most of the enemy missiles were successfully captured.

Araghchi conveyed these results to the UN leadership and said, “If it were not for the successful performance of Iran’s air defense, Israeli aggression could have led to serious losses.”

He added: “In light of the consequences of the Israeli regime’s continued and systematic aggression, the Islamic Republic of Iran calls on the United Nations Secretary-General and the Security Council to take a firm stance and condemn the Israeli regime for committing these acts of aggression. We strongly and clearly appeal to the international community to “To show that such egregious violations of international law and the UN Charter will not go unanswered.”

“Furthermore, the Islamic Republic of Iran requests the Chairman of the Security Council to hold an urgent meeting to address these grave violations and unlawful acts and ensure the accountability of this criminal regime,” Araghchi said.

The attack was yet another example of the decades-long conflict between Iran and Israel, long overshadowed and now increasingly emerging as a direct conflict.

Since then HamasThe Palestinian militant group launched a major surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Iran and its Axis of Resistance allies launched attacks on the country from Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen in an attempt to pressure Israel for a ceasefire in the region. Gaza Strip. The widening conflict has expanded Israel’s targeting of its enemies abroad in both claimed and unclaimed operations.

While Iran has long aided non-state actors opposed to Israel, the Islamic Republic first intervened directly in early April after Israeli warplanes killed senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials at Tehran’s embassy complex in Damascus, Syria’s capital . Less than two weeks later, the Revolutionary Guard, in partnership with various Axis of Resistance groups, launched a combined missile and drone strike against Israel.

The IDF reported that most incoming shells were intercepted and little damage was caused. Days later, Israel launched an air strike on an air defense facility located near Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility in Isfahan.

In late July, Hamas Political Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran after attending the inauguration of Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian. Israel did not directly claim responsibility for his death, but the action was widely attributed to intelligence services with a record of conducting operations in Iran.

The conflict continued to escalate over the next two months; Another unclaimed attack attributed to Israel in September caused communications devices used primarily by the Lebanese Hezbollah movement to explode, killing scores of people in Lebanon and seriously wounding the Iranian ambassador. That same month, the IDF killed Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah and Revolutionary Guard 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. The IDF once again said that most attacks had been stopped, but direct attacks on areas such as Nevatim Air Base had been detected.

as Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu He promised to respond, some targets discussed included Iran’s nuclear, oil and military infrastructure. But the White House appeared to be discouraging attacks on nuclear and oil sites out of fear of further escalation and potential consequences.

Following the latest Israeli attack, a senior official of the President Joe BidenSpeaking to reporters on Friday, the administration said the United States was ready to help Israel against possible attacks by Iran, but also said “this should be the end of direct military exchanges between Israel and Iran.”

“We think direct military exchanges between Israel and Iran should complement that direct exchange,” the senior administration official said. he said. “And again, if Iran chooses to respond, we are fully prepared to defend Israel and support Israel, and there will be consequences if Iran makes this unfortunate decision.”