Iran affirms before the UN that it will respond to any US aggression with “decisive, proportional and legal” action

“Iran does not seek escalation or confrontation, but any direct or indirect act of aggression will be responded to with decisive, proportional and legal action under Article 51 of the UN Charter (which includes the right to self-defense),” Darzi said in a Council session requested by the US delegation.

The Iranian insisted that “the incitement to violence, the promotion of internal destabilization and the explicit threat of military action” against the country pose a threat to international peace and security.

The anti-government protests that have taken place in Iran since December 28 have claimed the lives of some 3,428 people, according to figures from organizations such as IHRNGO, and have resulted in thousands of injuries.

Today in the Council, Darzi rejected the accusations leveled against the Iranian regime and blamed the Islamic State for the deaths of protesters. According to him, the protests began peacefully, but were later “hijacked” by organized armed groups.

The Iranian diplomat has also accused the United States of being directly involved in “promoting violent unrest” in Iran and of trying to hide its complicity in the demonstrations “as part of Israel’s attempt to drag the United States into another war of aggression against Iran.”

Trump has not ruled out the use of military force in Iran if the ayatollah regime continues to suppress civilian protests with violence, an intervention that the UN has opposed. In response, Darzi has accused the North American country of laying the foundations for political destabilization with a possible military intervention justified “under an alleged humanitarian narrative.”

For his part, the American representative, Mike Waltzstated during his speech that “all options are on the table” to “stop the massacre” in the protests.

Meanwhile, countries such as Russia and China have defended the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran, and specifically the Russian delegation has described the Council session as “another attempt” by the US to “justify blatant aggression and interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign State.”

Other countries such as France have argued that only the Iranian people “should decide their destiny” but have insisted that there is a “collective responsibility” in denouncing the violence and repression seen during the demonstrations.