Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, wrote a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the President of the Security Council on Thursday, warning that US bases, facilities and assets would be “legitimate targets” of Iran if the United States continued its military threats and attacks.
Iravani’s statement came after US President Donald Trump deployed warships, fighter jets and other military equipment to the Middle East as he seeks to prevent Iran from building a nuclear bomb, which Tehran says it is not pursuing.
The letter, seen by AFP, cited a social media post by Trump on Wednesday, where he said the US may have to use British military bases, including one on an Indian Ocean island, “if Iran decides not to do a deal”.
“Such an aggressive statement by the President of the United States…signals a real risk of military aggression, the consequences of which would be catastrophic for the region and pose a serious threat to international peace and security,” Iravani wrote in the letter.
He called on the Security Council – the UN’s top decision-making body, where Washington has veto power – to “ensure that the United States immediately ceases its illegal threats to use force.”
The letter said Iran remains committed to a “diplomatic solution” and “on a reciprocal basis, while addressing uncertainties surrounding its peaceful nuclear program.”
But Iravani warned that if Iran were to face military aggression, “all bases, facilities and assets of hostile forces in the region will constitute legitimate targets in the context of Iran’s defensive response.”
Trump’s threats
Trump has repeatedly threatened military action against Iran, citing a deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters last month and more recently over its nuclear program.
Trump said on Thursday that Iran had a maximum of 15 days to strike a deal and again suggested that the United States would attack if it did not.
His comments followed talks in Geneva on Tuesday between US envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who met indirectly with Iran’s top diplomat, who said progress had been made.
A previous attempt at negotiations collapsed when Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran last June, starting a 12-day war in which Washington briefly joined to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities.