He reaffirmed Iran’s inherent right to self-defense and vowed a ‘firm and proportionate’ response to the Israeli strike.

On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi declared that Israel’s overnight attack was a declaration of war against his nation by the “most terrorist regime in the world,” which has now crossed “all red lines.”

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“These coordinated actions amount to a declaration of war against the Islamic Republic of Iran and are part of Israel’s pattern of illegal and destabilizing behavior in the region, posing a grave threat to international peace and security,” said Araqchi, who reaffirmed Iran’s inherent right to self-defense and vowed a “firm and proportionate” response to the Israeli strike.

Overnight, the Israeli military struck about 100 targets in Iran, including senior military officials and nuclear scientists, as well as sensitive facilities such as the primary uranium enrichment plant in Natanz.

“This illegal and hostile act of aggression deliberately and recklessly escalates a crisis, flagrantly violating the U.N. Charter and the most fundamental norms of international law,” Araqchi said.

“The attacks targeted cities, peaceful nuclear facilities, military commanders, and civilian citizens,” the Iranian diplomat stated, adding that the strike on Natanz posed “a disturbing threat to regional and international peace and security by risking a radiological catastrophe.”

“This aggression further weakens the global non-proliferation regime and undermines the integrity of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),” Araqchi added, noting that the IAEA has been monitoring the uranium enrichment facility.

The targeted killings of senior Iranian military officials and scientists in Tehran are clear examples of state terrorism. “The responsibility for these heinous crimes has been openly and arrogantly claimed by the Israeli regime’s own prime minister,” he denounced.

The Israeli attack violates “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran, as an U.N. member state,” Araqchi asserted, but also constitutes “acts of aggression and war crimes” under the Geneva Conventions.

As a result, Araqchi called on U.N. bodies to condemn Israel’s actions “immediately and unequivocally” and take appropriate measures, while demanding the “urgent and immediate” convening of the Security Council.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: EFE – HispanTV – AP

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