Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, on Thursday November 27, wrote a letter to the UN Security Council announcing Iran’s intentions to seek US accountability for its role in Israeli aggression on Iran in June this year.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran once again reiterates its call on the UN Secretary General and the Security Council to take appropriate measures, consistent with their responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, to ensure accountability of both the US and the Israeli regime for” their grave violations of international laws, the letter reportedly says.
Iran has already written two such letters to the UN secretary general and the UN Security Council in the past as well. Thursday’s letter follows public recognition by the US Air Force on Wednesday of their role in Israeli aggression on Iran in June.
On June 22, during the 12-day Israeli war against Iran, US fighter jets accompanied B-2 bombers in the so-called Operation Midnight Hammer and bombed three Iranian nuclear sites of Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
Though the US claimed the attack damaged Iran’s nuclear capacities, it was widely reported that the attack failed to achieve its real objective.
Iran has denied it ever wants to develop nuclear weapons. However, it asserts its right to have nuclear enrichment as a signatory of the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The US-Israeli attacks were in complete violation of Iranian sovereignty under the provisions of the UN Charter, International humanitarian law, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) protocols and the NPT, Iran has claimed.
The Israeli and US acts of aggression were “directed against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in blatant violation of article 2 (4) of the UN Charter. This aggression included deliberate attacks against civilians and civilian objects” Iran claims and demands accountability and compensation for the same.
“The US is under an obligation to make full reparation for the injuries caused by the said violations against Iran and its citizens, including any material moral damage. This includes an obligation to make restitution and compensate for the damage caused thereby, under established international law,” Iravani’s letter says.
June war
Apart from financial compensation Iran has also sought “individual criminal responsibility of any US officials and individuals in grave breaches of international humanitarian law, including for the crime of aggression,” during the June war.
On June 13, Israel began a bombing campaign against several Iranian cities and nuclear facilities accusing it of developing nuclear weapons. The Israeli strikes which went on for 12 days, killed over a thousand people including some of the country’s prominent scientists and top military officials.
Iran denied Israeli allegations and retaliated to its aggression with long range missiles causing damage in Tel Aviv and several other cities. Scores of Israelis were also killed in Iranian retaliations.
The US joined the Israeli bombings in Iran. On June 22, its B-2 bombers targeted three of Iran’s nuclear sites in an attempt to destroy its alleged capacity to build nuclear bombs.
In a discussion in the Security Council on June 22, the US defended its attacks on Iranian nuclear sites claiming it was part of its “mutual security arrangements” with Israel.
However, Iran rejected the US claims calling the attacks a violation of its territorial integrity and US obligations under the UN Charter and other international law. It announced its right to retaliate against and seek remuneration from the US.
Iran retaliated to the US strikes by launching strikes on its military base in Qatar a day after.
A ceasefire was announced by the president Donald Trump on Monday, June 23, and officially agreed upon on June 24, which marked the end of military hostilities.
On several occasions since June, Iran has criticized the UN Security Council for its selective criticisms and its failure to uphold its basic duty to maintain world peace and security.
Iran has noted how when it comes to Israel and the US, the UN fails to hold them accountable for their repeated violations of its charter and other international laws.
The post Iran reiterates demand for US accountability for its role in Israeli aggression in June appeared first on Peoples Dispatch.
From Peoples Dispatch via this RSS feed