Iran Warns Israel Against Retaliation, Asks US To Stay Away

As Iran conducted its first direct assault against Israel, it made sure the message travelled as far as it could. State media broadcast footage of Iranians “celebrating” the attacks against archrival Israel.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—the most powerful man in Iran—who, in a public message earlier this week, had said Israel would be punished, put up the same video clipping on his Twitter account.

Iran’s military pride, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), released a statement saying its “Aerospace Force fired dozens of missiles at specific Israeli targets inside the occupied territories”.

And the country’s permanent mission to the United Nations was on an overdrive on social media to justify the attacks, in retaliation for the bombing of its embassy in Damascus earlier this month, allegedly by Israel.

Iran’s invocation of Article 51 of the UN Charter occurred following a 13-day period marked by the Security Council’s inaction and silence, coupled with its failure to condemn the Israeli regime’s aggressions, the country’s permanent mission to UN said.

According to Article 51, “Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security”.

In a letter to the UN Secretary General, Iran’s permanent representative Amir Saeid Iravani laid the blame squarely on the international body. “Regrettably, the United Nations Security Council has failed in its duty to maintain international peace and security, allowing the Israeli regime to transgress red lines and violate the fundamental principles of international law. Such violations have exacerbated tensions in the region.”

In a separate post on social media, the mission said “the matter can be deemed concluded”. But it had strings attached. “Should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe.”

There was a piece of advice for the United States as well. “It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!”