Iran has accused the United States of "destroying diplomacy" through its airstrikes on the country's nuclear facilities and warned that its military will determine the "timing, nature, and scale" of an appropriate and proportionate response to attacks by America on its key nuclear sites.
The US bombed three major nuclear sites -- Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan -- in Iran early on Sunday morning, bringing itself into the Israel-Iran conflict.
Iran's UN Ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Sunday, convened following the US strikes on three of Iran's nuclear sites, that "Iran had repeatedly warned the warmongering US regime to avoid falling into this quagmire." An emergency special session of the Security Council at UN Headquarters in New York on Sunday (local time) was convened under the agenda item "Threats to international peace and security."
'Military will decide timing, nature and scale of its response'
"Even though Iran reserves its full and legitimate right under international law to defend itself against this blatant US aggression and its Israeli proxy, the timing, nature, and scale of Iran's proportionate response will be decided by its armed forces," Iravani said.
"We will take all measures necessary," the envoy told the meeting.
He condemned the US and Israeli strikes on June 21 and June 13, respectively, as violations of international law, asserting that they resulted from "illegal and politically motivated actions" by the United States, the UK, France, and their European allies.
The ambassador also strongly criticised Israel for undermining diplomatic avenues. "Israel decided to destroy diplomacy," and noted that the "so-called offer of diplomacy was nothing more than a deceitful policy to mislead the international community," he said.
Iravani accuses PM Netanyahu of using Trump to do the West's 'Dirty Work'
Iravani accused Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of succeeding in getting US President Donald Trump to do the West's "dirty work" and hijack US foreign policy, "dragging the United States into yet another costly and baseless war."
He called US and Israeli aggression against Iran "a clear and flagrant breach of international law".
Iravani said that as Iran's foreign minister held talks this week with several European counterparts, “the United States decided to destroy that diplomacy.” “What conclusion can be drawn from this situation?" he asked. "From the perspective of Western countries, Iran must 'return to the negotiating table'. But, as Iran's foreign minister mentioned, 'how can Iran return to something it never left -- let alone'."
(With agencies inputs)
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