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Iran committed to good neighborliness, respect for sovereignty: Pezeshkian
Envoy says US-Israeli strikes ‘blind’, clear example of ‘war crimes’
in a tweet on Saturday, he stressed, however, that this does not negate Iran’s inherent right to defend itself against military aggression from the United States and the Israeli regime.
“Iran’s defensive operations are exclusively directed against targets and facilities that are the source of aggressive actions against the Iranian nation, and we consider them legitimate targets,” the official stated.
He explained that Iran has not attacked friendly or neighboring countries, but rather has targeted US military bases, installations, and facilities within the region.
The message comes amid escalating tensions following a joint military operation by Israel and the United States against Iran on February 28, in response to which Iran has targeted US bases in neighboring countries.
However, reports of strikes on civilian targets have emerged, prompting reactions from some of those nations.
Earlier, Pezeshkian had said in a video message that the Leadership Council has explicitly instructed the armed forces not to launch missile strikes against neighboring countries unless an attack is originated from their territories against Iran.
Tehran had previously warned of potential “false flag” operations by Israel to damage Iran’s relations with its neighbors.
Pezeshkian, who became a member of the Leadership Council following the martyrdom of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in an Israeli-American strike emphasized that Iran has no intention of initiating military aggression.
“Our neighboring countries are our brothers… I believe that the issue with neighbors should be resolved through diplomacy,” Pezeshkian said.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also accused American aggressors of using “friendly” Arab states’ territories to target innocent children and civilians in Iran, but affirmed that Iran’s response would be directed “solely at US bases and facilities”.
“Iran and our Arab brothers have lived together for centuries in an atmosphere of friendship, mutual respect, and affection,” he wrote in Arabic on his X account.
Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesman for the Armed Forces General Staff, later stated that only locations where attacks on Iran originate from would be considered legitimate targets.
He stressed that all efforts have been made to avoid harming “dear and Muslim” neighboring nations and to uphold the principle of good neighborliness.
“We remain committed to this principle.”
US, Israel deliberately targeting civilians
Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani, meanwhile told reporters on Saturday that the strikes by Israel and the United States are “blind” and deliberately target civilians and civilian infrastructure across the country.
“These actions constitute a clear example of war crimes and crimes against humanity,” he said, rejecting claims of solely targeting military objectives as “baseless and false”, since facts on the ground prove otherwise.
Iravani reiterated that, according to the latest report from the Iranian Red Crescent Society, at least 1,332 civilians, including women and children, have lost their lives, and thousands more have been injured, with casualties continuing to rise.
He once again called on the UN Security Council and the UN Secretary-General to condemn the “aggression, war crimes, and crimes against humanity” perpetrated by the United States and Israel against the Iranian people and to compel aggressors to immediately cease all military attacks against Iran and against civilians and civilian infrastructure.
He also urged the Council to ensure accountability for these egregious violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes.
“We continue to exercise our inherent right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter as long as this aggression and these barbaric attacks continue. Our response is legal, necessary, and proportionate,” Iravani stated.
He underlined that Iran solely targets military objectives of aggressors and does not target civilians or the interests of neighboring countries.
Iravani said Iran is currently investigating reports of attacks on civilian sites but initial assessments suggest that some incidents may have resulted from interception or disruption caused by US defense systems, potentially causing deviations from intended military targets.
“Iran does not seek war or to escalate tensions. But it will never relinquish its sovereignty.”