Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has defended the country’s retaliatory strikes against US targets across the region, describing them as legitimate defensive actions. Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stressed that Iran is entitled to defend itself from Israeli and US attacks. The spokesman emphasized that Iran has every right to defend itself in accordance with international law and the UN Charter.
The US and Israel launched a wave of attacks across multiple Iranian cities, including Tehran, on Saturday, resulting in at least 201 deaths, according to Iranian media citing the Red Crescent. Iran responded by firing missiles towards Israel and US military targets in multiple countries, including Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
Esmaeil Baghaei stated that Iran’s armed forces are defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity against these acts of aggression. The US-Israeli attacks came after a third round of indirect negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme between the US and Iran ended on Friday. Baghaei noted that the negotiations had made significant progress, with the mediator, the foreign minister of Oman, qualifying the round as a success.
Regional Context
The US-Israeli attacks have raised concerns about the stability of the region and the impact on international law. Esmaeil Baghaei emphasized that the US launching an act of aggression against another UN member state threatens the international body and the normative system created by the UN Charter. He stressed that Iran is not attacking any country in the region, but rather taking defensive actions against legitimate targets.
Baghaei defended Iran’s retaliatory attacks, stating that under international law, any location providing logistical support to the aggressor is a legitimate target for the victim state. He added that Iran has proven its trust in its friends in the region and is committed to furthering the diplomatic process. However, he criticized the US for conducting a war of aggression at the cost of everyone, including the countries of the region.
Source: Al Jazeera
