In a letter addressed to the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday, Amir-Abdollahian said that Iran expects the UNSC to strongly condemn “the Israeli regime’s acts of terrorism and other unlawful use of force” in the region amid a conflict in Palestine’s Gaza.
The top Iranian diplomat said that his country reserves the right to respond to the Israeli attack on Syria’s Damascus on Saturday, which killed five Iranian military advisors.
Following is the text of the minister’s letter to Guterres, based on a copy provided by Iran’s permanent mission to the UN:
Excellency,
I wish to draw your attention to the persistent violations of the basic principles and norms of international law as well as the United Nations Charter by the Israeli regime through its unlawful use of force and provocative military acts that are seriously endangering regional and international peace and security.
A current example is the deliberate targeting of Iranian military advisors in the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, who are legally present in Syria at the formal request of the Syrian Arab Republic to support and assist that country in the fight against terrorism.
On 20 January 2024, the Israeli regime targeted a residential building in Damascus through missile strikes, resulting in the martyrdom of many civilians as well as five Iranian military advisors: Hojjatollah Omidvar, Ali Aghazadeh, Hossein Mohammadi, Saeed Karimi, and Mohammad Amin Samadi. This reprehensible act of terrorism was the third of this kind in recent months against Iranian military advisors.
The Islamic Republic of Iran unequivocally and strongly condemns this heinous and cowardly act of terrorism, which is aimed at diverting attention away from the Israeli regime’s atrocities against the people of Palestine, particularly in Gaza.
This heinous terrorist act has also revealed, once more, the real terrorist nature of the Israeli regime, its destabilizing role in the region, and the danger that it poses to the peace and security of the region and beyond.
The Israeli regime must bear the consequences of this and all other terrorist acts it has committed against Iranian military advisors. The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its inherent right, under international law and the United Nations Charter, to respond decisively and proportionately to such acts at the time and place of its choosing.
The UN Security Council is expected, in fulfilling its duties under the United Nations Charter, to strongly condemn the Israeli regime’s acts of terrorism and other unlawful use of force, as such provocative measures pose a serious threat to regional and international peace and security. This regime must also be compelled to abandon all its other destabilizing activities in the region.
Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.
