Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. (File photo)
United Nations, June 23 (RHC)-- Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has written to the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, strongly condemning Washington's aggression against Iranian nuclear facilities and warning about its potential catastrophic consequences.
The top Iranian diplomat said the unprovoked and unlawful aggression “marks an unprecedented collapse in international relations,” which can have “disastrous consequences.” Araghchi enumerated some of the potential repercussions of such aggression as “large-scale civilian casualties and long-term environmental devastation.”
The attacks carried out early on Sunday targeted three sites hosting peaceful uranium enrichment activities in the north-central and central parts of the country. Iran's foreign minister reminded the top UN official that the aggression had been perpetrated by a nuclear-armed country against a nation that did not have any non-conventional arms, as well as one whose nuclear activities were subject to the full supervision and comprehensive safeguards of the UN nuclear agency.
‘UN, world bodies on brink of dangerous crisis’
Addressing the state of affairs that the unprecedented aggression has created for the international community, Iran’s foreign minister said it has pushed the United Nations and multilateral structures “to the brink of a dangerous crisis.”
He reiterated the call for an emergency UN Security Council meeting over the situation, noting that the UNSC has to “issue a clear, firm, and unequivocal condemnation of the United States, as one of the permanent members of the Security Council.”
‘US attack in support of a war criminal’
Araghchi said the U.S. government must be held accountable for this criminal assault, which was carried out in support of a regime led by an internationally wanted war criminal, who is “dragging the world towards chaos and instability.” He was referring to Netanyahu, who faces an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court over war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The top Iranian diplomat cited the regime’s several past attacks on the same nuclear sites now targeted by the United States.
He stressed the appalling nature of the Israeli attacks, noting that, during the aggression, the Islamic Republic—a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty—had been targeted by a regime that was not a party to the treaty and possesses nuclear weapons.
‘World is watching’
Araghchi said in light of the situation at hand, Guterres “as the guardian of the United Nations system, is expected to firmly stand against this blatant illegality and assault on peace.”
“The world is watching,” the foreign minister wrote in the letter, adding that “inaction will not only escalate this crisis but will further deteriorate global security.”
