Iran’s envoy warns Washington against initiating military action against Tehran

“Iran has no intention of engaging in conflict with the US in the region,” Iravani told a UN Security Council meeting on Sunday.

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

On April 1, the Israeli regime committed a terrorist attack against Iran’s diplomatic premises in the Syrian capital Damascus.

The Israeli attack resulted in the martyrdom of Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), his deputy, General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, and five of their accompanying officers.

Retaliating against the attack, the IRGC targeted the occupied territories late on Saturday with a barrage of drones and missiles. The retaliatory attack, dubbed Operation True Promise, has inflicted damage on Israeli military bases across the occupied territories, but the extent of which is yet to be specified.

Following the reprisal, Iran both relayed the message that it viewed the matter as “concluded”, and also warned the US against trying to involve itself in the conflict.

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.”

Iravani added, “We demonstrated our commitment to peace by exercising our restraint about involving the US 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 US and the UK for their protecting the Israeli regime against accountability.

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

“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.”

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.

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.”