Iran to UN Security Council in Response to U.S. Threats:
We Will Not Initiate War, But Will Respond Decisively if Attacked
The Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations, in a letter to the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council, stated that Iran will not initiate any war. However, if subjected to military aggression, it will respond decisively.
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Amir Saeed Iravani, Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, sent the letter on Thursday local time in response to ongoing U.S. threats of force, including the U.S. President’s recent public remarks regarding the potential use of Diego Garcia military base for a possible attack against Iran.
In the letter, Iravani emphasized that such threats constitute a blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law, and risk plunging the region into a new cycle of crisis and instability.
He reaffirmed that Iran has consistently declared at the highest levels that it does not seek tension or war and will not be the aggressor in any conflict. Nevertheless, in the event of military aggression, Iran will respond decisively, proportionally, and within the framework of its inherent right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
The full letter, addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and James Kariuki, President of the Security Council, reads as follows:
In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Following instructions from my government and pursuant to prior communications dated 30 December 2025 and 2, 9, 13, 22, and 28 January 2026 regarding the continued threats by the United States to use force against the Islamic Republic of Iran, this correspondence is submitted to draw your immediate attention and that of the Security Council to the ongoing threats, including the U.S. President’s recent public statements concerning the possible use of Diego Garcia military base for a military attack against Iran.
These threats constitute a flagrant violation of the UN Charter and international law, and pose a serious risk of plunging the region into a new cycle of crisis and instability. On 18 February 2026, the U.S. President explicitly threatened Iran on social media, stating: “If Iran decides not to reach an agreement, the United States may be forced to use Diego Garcia and the Fairford airfield to preempt a potential Iranian attack.”
Given the fragile and unstable situation in the region, alongside ongoing U.S. deployment and relocation of military assets, such belligerent statements cannot be dismissed as mere rhetoric; they represent a real risk of military aggression with potentially catastrophic consequences for regional peace and international security.
Iran, aiming to convey its concerns clearly and unambiguously, and to seek a full, effective, and verifiable cessation of unilateral illegal and inhumane coercive measures, has participated constructively and in good faith in nuclear negotiations with the United States. Simultaneously, Iran has sought to clarify its peaceful nuclear program to achieve a mutually acceptable, results-oriented solution fully consistent with the inalienable rights of all NPT member states.
Iran continues to believe that if the United States pursues these negotiations with sincerity, seriousness, and genuine respect for the principles of the UN Charter and the peremptory norms of international law, a sustainable and balanced solution is entirely achievable.
In this context, the Islamic Republic of Iran calls upon you and all Security Council members to fully exercise your responsibilities under the UN Charter for the maintenance of international peace and security, to ensure the United States immediately ceases its unlawful threats of force, complies with its Charter obligations—particularly Article 2(4)—and refrains from any actions that could further escalate tensions or lead to military confrontation. The consequences of such confrontation for regional and international peace and security would be severe and far-reaching.
The Security Council and the UN Secretary-General must act promptly before it is too late. Threats to use force and commit acts of aggression must not be normalized, legitimized, or treated as an acceptable political tool. If such illegal behavior goes unanswered, another independent UN member state could be next.
Iran reiterates that it does not seek tension or war and will not initiate hostilities. Nevertheless, if Iran is subject to military aggression, it will respond decisively, proportionally, and in accordance with its inherent right of self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. In such a defensive scenario, all bases, facilities, and assets of the aggressor in the region will be considered legitimate targets, and the United States will bear full responsibility for any unpredictable or uncontrollable consequences.
The letter concludes with a request that it be circulated as a Security Council document. Amir Saeed Iravani
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
