Amir Saeid Iravani has emphasized that the Islamic Republic’s defensive operations targeting US military facilities in Bahrain are not against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Arab country.
Iravani made the remark on Monday in a letter addressed to the UN secretary-general and the president of the UN Security Council, as the US and Israel continue their brutal military attacks on Iran.
The following is the full text of the Iranian envoy’s letter:
Excellency,
Upon instructions from my Government, and in response to the letters from the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations in New York, including letters dated 4 and 5 March 2026, I wish to draw the attention of Your Excellency and the members of the Security Council to the following:
Pursuant to my letters of 3 and 7 March 2026 (S/2026/121-S/2026/139), it should be recalled that the joint aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran in violation of the jus cogens character of “prohibition of aggression”, has been committed on 28 February 2026 with the cowardly assassination of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran as the highest official of the State and a number of other senior officials of my country, as well as simultaneous attacks against civilian objects including schools, hospitals, sport facilities, residential homes, and public service centres.
Since the beginning of this aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran by the United States and Israeli regime, the aggressors have also used the territories and facilities of certain third States including the Kingdom of Bahrain to launch unlawful military attacks, which till now led up to the martyrdom of more than 1300 civilian, and destruction of 9669 civilian objects, including 7943 residential homes, 1617 commercial and service centres, 35 hospitals, pharmaceutical and medical centres, 9 Red Crescent buildings, and 63 schools.
As explained in several communications from the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Security Council, under the fundamental principle of sic utere tuo ut alienum non laedas, States are prohibited from knowingly allowing their territory to be used, directly or indirectly, to cause damage to other States. In addition, Article 3(f) of the General Assembly resolution 3314 (XXIX) of 14 December 1974 has categorised “the action of a State in allowing its territory, which it has placed at the disposal of another State, to be used by that State for perpetrating an act of aggression against a third State” as an act of aggression.
Furthermore, as a principle of international law emanating from the jus cogens character of the “prohibition of aggression”, States must undertake all necessary measures to prevent foreign armed forces based on their territory from committing acts of aggression against other States, and must not facilitate or support such acts. It is evident that, in the event of a breach of these fundamental obligations, a State whose territory has been used to carry out acts of aggression against a third State bears international legal responsibility, including responsibility for the reparation of direct and indirect damages resulting from such acts.
The Islamic Republic of Iran in exercising its inherent right under article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and in light of the failure of the United Nations Security Council to discharge its duties and responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations, has undertaken necessary and proportionate defensive operations against the bases and facilities of the aggressors in the region. Such actions are lawful under international law and has been clearly and repeatedly warned of in advance through various channels and at different levels.
The Islamic Republic of Iran remains committed to maintaining friendly relations with the Kingdom of Bahrain based on mutual respect, the principle of good-neighbourliness, and respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Iran re-emphasises that its defensive operations targeting United States military bases and facilities in the region are in no way against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
MNA/IRN
