IRNA: Iranian envoy calls for UN Security Council meeting after US attacks

The strikes carried out by the United States against Iran constitute a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter, said Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani.

“Undoubtedly, the U.S. military aggression against the sovereignty and territorial integrity [of Iran] represents a flagrant violation of international law and binding international norms enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations,” Iravani wrote in a letter addressed to the President of the UN Security Council and the UN Secretary-General, Caliber.Az reports, citing IRNA.

“In light of the serious and far-reaching consequences of these barbaric and criminal actions for international peace and security, the Islamic Republic of Iran urgently requests the Security Council to convene an emergency meeting to immediately address this egregious and unlawful act of aggression,” the letter also stated.

The U.S. strikes, conducted on June 21, 2025, targeted three key Iranian nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—in what President Donald Trump called a "very successful attack" to cripple Iran’s nuclear program. The operation, reportedly coordinated with Israel, followed a series of Israeli airstrikes under "Operation Rising Lion," which had weakened Iran’s air defenses and missile capabilities. Iran’s state media confirmed the attacks but reported no contamination, while Tehran’s leadership, including Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, warned of "everlasting consequences" and reserved the right to retaliate.

Iran’s legal argument centers on the UN Charter, specifically Article 2(4), which prohibits the use of force against a state’s territorial integrity or political independence without UN Security Council authorization, and Article 51, which permits self-defense only in response to an armed attack or imminent threat. Iravani’s letter asserts that the U.S. lacked both Security Council approval and a credible self-defense justification, rendering the strikes illegal.

The U.S. and Israel, however, likely justify the strikes as preemptive self-defense, arguing that Iran’s nuclear program posed an existential threat, particularly given Tehran’s support for proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah and its refusal to resume nuclear talks. The Fordow facility, a deeply fortified uranium enrichment site, is considered a "nuclear red line" by Iran, making its targeting a significant escalation.

By Khagan Isayev