Iran ‘Entitled, Obliged to Defend’ against Aggression, MFA Says After Israeli Strike

IQNA – Iran is “entitled and obliged” to defend against act of aggression, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said hours after the Israeli regime carried out airstrikes against a number of targets in Iran.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran condemns in the strongest terms the Zionist regime’s acts of aggression against a number of military sites in Iran as a blatant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter, particularly the principle prohibiting the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of countries,” reads the statement.

 “As repeatedly emphasized by the competent authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on the inherent right of self-defense, as also reflected in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, the Islamic Republic of Iran considers itself entitled and obliged to defend against acts of external aggression,” Foreign Ministry added.

The strikes targeted parts of military sites in the capital Tehran as well as the western and southwestern provinces of Ilam and Khuzestan, with Iran’s air defense saying the attacks were “successfully intercepted and countered.”

The attacks caused “limited damage” in some locations, and the dimensions of the incident are under investigation.

Despite Israeli media reports overplaying the Israeli attack by circulating fake images, the Iranian public returned to their routines, and daily life continued smoothly across the country.

Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization announced that flights had resumed after a short interruption, and footage from Mehrabad Airport in western Tehran showed operations running normally, with passengers moving through as usual.

Elsewhere in the statement, the Ministry emphasized “the individual and collective responsibility of all regional countries to safeguard regional peace and stability,” appreciating those states that have slammed the Israeli aggression and its “warmongering” actions.

“Undoubtedly, the continuation of occupation, illegal actions, and crimes by the Zionist regime in the region, particularly the genocide against the Palestinian people and aggression against Lebanon – perpetuated by comprehensive military and political support from the United States and certain other Western countries – remains the main cause of tension and insecurity in the region,” it added.

4244371