Above photo: AP Photo/Frank Franklin II.
Iran’s foreign minister affirmed the Islamic Republic’s right to retaliate against Israel according to international law.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on the UN on 27 October to convene an urgent Security Council meeting in response to Israel’s recent missile and drone attack on the Islamic Republic while affirming Iran’s right to retaliate.
Araghchi issued a letter to the UN Secretary-General stating that the “Islamic Republic of Iran calls on the President of the Security Council to convene an urgent meeting to address these serious violations and illegal actions, ensuring that this regime is held accountable for its actions.”
“While Iran’s air defense system intercepted most of the missiles, four Iranian army officers bravely sacrificed their lives to protect the national security of their country and were martyred,” Araghchi’s letter stated.
In the early hours of 26 October, Israel launched a missile and drone attack on Iranian military sites in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan, and Ilam, killing four Iranian soldiers.
In his letter, the Iranian Foreign Minister “strongly condemned the deliberate aggressions of the Zionist regime, noting that the Israeli regime’s unlawful attacks violate the fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter, particularly Article 2, paragraph 4.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi:
“We strongly condemn the criminal attack on Iranian military centers as a violation of international law and the UN Charter. Four of our Army heroes sacrificed their lives in defeating this reckless and cowardly assault.
We fully reserve… pic.twitter.com/aLFYOJMvkH
— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) October 26, 2024
The minister emphasized that the Islamic Republic reserves the “right to duly respond to this aggression, which cannot be separated from Israel’s genocide in Gaza and bloodshed in Lebanon. The world must unite against this common threat to international peace and security.”
Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also promised the Islamic Republic would respond to Israel’s “most recent act of aggression that took the lives of four Iranian servicemen.”
In a Sunday meeting to receive the family members of the four soldiers killed in the Israeli attack, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that Israel’s latest act of aggression against Iran should neither be “magnified nor downplayed.”
He called on Iranian officials to make Israel understand the level of the Iranian nation’s power and determination.
“What preserves the security of a country is its national power, the strength of that country, being strong in all aspects; strong in science, strong in economy, strong in defense, strong in armaments. These maintain and ensure the security of the country,” he said.
Following the Israeli attack, a senior White House official told reporters that President Biden had worked with Israel to conduct a response that was “targeted and proportional” while warning Iran not to respond.
“If Iran chooses to respond once again, we will be ready, and there will be consequences for Iran once again. However, we do not want to see that happen. This should be the end of this direct exchange of fire between Israel and Iran,” the official stated.