On Thursday evening local time, Amir Saeid Iravani wrote to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council: “The Islamic Republic of Iran categorically and unequivocally rejects all baseless accusations and entirely unsubstantiated claims set forth in the letters submitted by Qatar, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.”
The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations emphasized that the claim by Qatar, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to have exercised the right of self-defense does not constitute valid or lawful self-defense as defined under Article 51 of the UN Charter. Rather, these actions amount to internationally wrongful acts which, under Article 3(c) of UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 of December 14, 1974, qualify as acts of aggression.
Full text of the letter from the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations is as follows:
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Pursuant to instructions from my government, and further to our previous correspondence regarding the premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified war of aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as our continued communications concerning the responsibility of states whose internationally wrongful acts contributed to the initiation, facilitation, and continuation of this aggression against Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity—including our most recent letters dated April 13, 14, and 22, 2026—I wish to respond to the letter dated April 14, 2026 from the Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council; the letters dated April 15 and 16, 2026 from the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council; the letters dated April 15 and 17, 2026 from the Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council; the letter dated April 17, 2026 from the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council; the letter dated April 17, 2026 from the Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council; and the letter dated April 28, 2026 from the Permanent Representative of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council.
The Islamic Republic of Iran categorically and unequivocally rejects all baseless accusations and entirely unsubstantiated claims advanced in the aforementioned letters by Qatar, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
These states have deliberately disregarded the root causes of the present situation and ignored the fundamental and determining reality that the United States and the Israeli regime committed acts of aggression and carried out unprovoked and unlawful attacks against Iran.
They have sought, by falsely attributing responsibility to the Islamic Republic of Iran—the very state that has been the target of this brutal war of aggression—to distort the factual and legal framework of the matter.
The unlawful use of force and military attacks by the United States and the Israeli regime against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran constitute grave, systematic, and widespread violations of both the law governing the use of force and the law applicable to armed conflicts.
According to the latest figures released by the Iranian Red Crescent Society, the war crimes committed by the aggressors have resulted in the deaths of more than 3,375 individuals. As of April 8, 2026, over 125,630 civilian structures across Iran have been damaged, including more than 100,000 residential units, some of which have been completely destroyed.
Among these, 23,500 were commercial properties, and 339 medical centers were damaged. In addition, 32 universities, 857 schools, and 20 Red Crescent centers were targeted by the aggressors. These figures must also be supplemented by damage inflicted on historical and cultural sites, the environment and natural resources, as well as numerous infrastructure assets, including railways, bridges, aluminum and petrochemical plants, airports, and passenger aircraft.
The claims made by Qatar, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan that armed attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran were not launched from their territories—even if assumed to be true, which they are not—merely confirm that Iran was targeted by aggressors operating from military bases and facilities located within those states.
The outright rejection of the factual evidence presented by the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the use of the territory, airspace, and facilities of regional states—including Qatar, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—by the aggressors is inconsistent with monitoring data and assessments conducted by Iran’s armed forces, as well as with recent statements by the Commander of United States Central Command.
At a press briefing on April 16, 2026 at the Pentagon, the CENTCOM Commander, Admiral Brad Cooper, noted that leaders of Persian Gulf littoral states expressed appreciation for the military forces deployed in the region and reiterated that “Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan have been exceptional teammates.” Furthermore, the downing of a hostile aerial object over Iran in April 2026 indicates the participation of other states—namely Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—in joint attacks against Iran, as neither the United States nor the Israeli regime employs such aerial platforms.
The claim by Qatar, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to have exercised the right of self-defense does not constitute valid and lawful self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. Rather, these actions amount to internationally wrongful acts which, under Article 3(c) of UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 of December 14, 1974, qualify as acts of aggression.
Moreover, the Security Council’s clear failure to uphold the lawful and legitimate right of the Islamic Republic of Iran to self-defense in its unjust and legally indefensible Resolution 2817 (2026), as a lex specialis, does not negate Iran’s inherent right to self-defense under general international law.
The Human Rights Council resolution dated March 25, 2026 is unilateral, politically motivated, and inherently biased. It fails to meaningfully address the root causes of the situation. The resolution is unbalanced, inconsistent with the mandate of the Human Rights Council, and presents a selective narrative that begins in the middle of events rather than reflecting their full context.
The Islamic Republic of Iran once again reiterates its clear and consistent position that all states whose internationally wrongful acts contributed to the aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime against its sovereignty and territorial integrity must be held accountable.
The continued failure of the Security Council to address the root causes of the current situation—namely the unlawful use of force, acts of aggression, and grave violations of international humanitarian law by the United States and the Israeli regime, as well as the complicity of states that have facilitated or directly participated in such wrongful acts against Iran—poses a serious threat to international peace and security.
Notwithstanding the Security Council’s failure to hold Persian Gulf littoral states—including Qatar, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan—accountable for their internationally wrongful acts against Iran, these states, as responsible parties, are obligated to make full reparation to the Islamic Republic of Iran, including compensation for all material and moral damages arising from their wrongful acts.
I would be grateful if you would have the present letter circulated as an official document of the Security Council.
Amir Saeid Iravani
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
NOURNEWS