Iran warns of decisive response to any aggression from US

Iran has signalled that its reaction to any acts of aggression will be “decisive,” accusing the United States of violating international law and the United Nations Charter.

In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the current President of the UN Security Council, James Kariuki, dated February 19, Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, Amir Saeed Iravani, condemned repeated US threats of military action, Caliber.Az reports via Iranian media.

These included references to potential operations launched from Diego Garcia and other regional installations.

“Iran will exercise its inherent right to self-defence under the UN Charter if attacked,” Iravani said, describing the US statements as a “gross violation” of Article 2(4) and a threat to regional stability.

The envoy stressed Iran’s commitment to diplomacy and ongoing nuclear negotiations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, urging the Security Council to prevent the normalisation of unlawful threats and acts of aggression.

Earlier on, US President Donald Trump had indicated that the world would know within about 10 days whether Washington would reach a deal with Iran or pursue military action. Speaking at the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace in Washington DC, Trump stressed the need for a “meaningful deal” on Tehran’s nuclear programme, warning that failure could lead to “bad things.”

US forces have surged in the Middle East, including the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln, while talks between American and Iranian negotiators in Switzerland reportedly made some progress. Iran has warned the UN that US bases in the region would be considered legitimate targets if attacked, though it says it does not want war.

Trump cited positive meetings by Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, but acknowledged the difficulty of reaching a lasting agreement with Iran. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated hopes for a diplomatic solution.

Several US lawmakers, including Democrat Ro Khanna and Republican Thomas Massie, have signalled opposition to military action without congressional approval under the 1973 War Powers Act, citing risks to US troops and Iran’s military capabilities.

Meanwhile, Tehran has reinforced facilities, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of retaliation against US forces.

By Aghakazim Guliyev