US-Israeli attacks on Iran 'war against the Charter of UN': Envoy

Iran's UN envoy on Saturday criticized the US and Israel for waging a "war against the Charter of the United Nations" during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said Tehran had repeatedly warned about "warmongering statements and interfering actions in the internal affairs of Iran by the President of the US."

"We have communicated on several occasions with this Council and the Secretary General about warmongering statements and interfering actions in the internal affairs of Iran by the President of the US, in a blatant violation of the UN Charter, international law, and called for the consul action, regrettably, all were unanswered," he said.

Iravani stressed that "what is occurring against my country is a clear act of aggression," he said. "It is an open armed aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran."

"The United States and Israel's war today is not merely a war against Iran. It is a war against the Charter of the United Nations, a war against international law and a war against international legal order," he added.

Expressing gratitude to Russia, China and Pakistan for their "principled position in condemnation of this unlawful act," Iravani said that "it is regrettable that some members of this body, in a blatant double standard, disregard that the flagrant act of aggression committed by the US and Israel on Iran and condemn Iran for using its inherent right to self-defence on the UN Charter."

He highlighted the increasing human toll amid the attacks, and called it "a war crime, and a crime against humanity."

Pointing to comments by US envoy to the UN, Mike Waltz, he accused the American envoy of attempting "to distort facts and rely on misinformation to justify the blatant aggression of the United States and Israel against" his country."

He stressed that the "justification advanced by the representative of the United States today is illegal and entirely devoid of legal foundation," adding that the US and Israeli attacks "have no standing under international law."

"I also categorically reject the assertion made by the representative of France, the United Kingdom and certain other Western members regarding Iran's peaceful nuclear program," he said, arguing that their claims "lack factual and legal basis."

Responding to Iravani, Waltz rejected the accusations of violating international law. "The United States has made every effort to negotiate a peaceful resolution of this conflict with Iran, but Iran has failed to take that opportunity. So, in close coordination with the government of Israel, the United States has taken lawful actions to address these threats, in line with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations."

Iravani took the floor again and urged his American colleague to be "polite," saying that "It will be better for yourself and the country you represent."

Waltz then said, "I'm not going to dignify this with another response, especially as this representative sits here in this body representing a regime that has killed tens of thousands of its own people and imprisoned many more simply for wanting freedom from your tyranny."

The emergency session was requested by the permanent missions of France, Bahrain, China, Russia and Colombia.