TEHRAN- Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, defended his country’s military actions against the Israeli regime as a legitimate act of self-defense in accordance with Iran’s rights.

Speaking on Sunday at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council called by Israel, Iravani emphasized that Iran’s response was justified under Article 51 of the UN Charter and international law. 

He explained that Iran’s operation was targeted at military objectives to prevent harm to civilians. 

Additionally, the Iranian envoy expressed gratitude to Security Council members who condemned the Israeli regime’s attacks on Iran’s diplomatic facilities in Syria and acknowledged Iran’s right to retaliate against such attacks.

He also warned the United States against initiating military action against the country in the aftermath of the Islamic Republic’s recent legitimate retaliatory operation against the Israeli regime, Washington’s most treasured regional ally.

“Iran has no intention of engaging in conflict with the U.S. in the region,” Iran's permanent Ambassador to the United Nations, Iravani noted. 

“However, if the U.S. initiates military operations against Iran, its citizens, or its security and interests, Iran will use its inherent right to respond proportionately,” he added.

Iravani added, “We demonstrated our commitment to peace by exercising our restraint about involving the U.S. Army in intercepting Iranian drones and missiles bound for military targets in the occupied Palestinian territories.”

“This underscores our dedication to de-escalating tensions and avoiding the expansion of conflict.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the envoy lambasted the U.S. and the UK for protecting the Israeli regime against accountability.

“The U.S. and the UK are fully responsible for all its (Israel’s) decades-long aggressions and other crimes and unlawful measures in our region,” he said.

“Furthermore, they are responsible for all crimes of the Israeli regime, as it cannot commit any of such savage crimes in Gaza without the consent, order, and all-out political, financial, and military support of, and collaboration with, the United States and the UK.”

Iravani cautioned that “the absence of accountability and the Security Council’s inaction in the face of the Israeli genocide and war crimes against the Palestinian people has only emboldened this regime to continue its violations unchecked.”

The Israeli regime carried out a terrorist attack on Iran’s diplomatic facilities in Damascus on April 1, resulting in the death of high-ranking Iranian military officials. 

In response, Iran launched a retaliatory strike named “Operation Truthful Promise” on Israeli military bases in the occupied territories. 

Iran declared the matter as resolved but warned the U.S. against interference. 

Iran emphasized that the conflict was between them and Israel, advising the U.S. to stay out of it. The conflict mentioned refers to Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, causing numerous Palestinian casualties.

Shortly after the retaliation, Iran’s permanent mission to the UN issued a statement, saying the conflict was one between the Islamic Republic and the rogue regime, “of which the United States should stay away.”

The envoy was referring to the regime’s October 7-present war against the Gaza Strip, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 33,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

In an interview published by British TV network Sky News on Monday, Iravani warned that Iran’s second retaliation against Israeli attack will be “most decisive.”

Commenting on a claim made by a Zionist network about a decision of the regime’s war cabinet on a “significant response” to Iran, Iravani said “… that is a threat… not an action.”

“This action was in the exercise of Iran's inherent right to self-defense as outlined in Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, and in response to the Israeli recurring military aggressions, particularly its armed attack on 1st April 2024 against Iranian diplomatic premises, in the defiance of Article 2 (4) of the Charter of the United Nations,” according to Iravani’s letter sent to the UN chief on Saturday.

Also, Iran’s Permanent Mission to the UN, on its X account late on Sunday, said the Israeli regime needed to be punished to restore order.