Iran alerts UN to Trump threat of force, says it will defend itself

Iran alerted the United Nations, on Tuesday, to what it described as “reckless and inflammatory statements” by US President Donald Trump threatening the use of force, and warned that “any act of aggression will have severe consequences”, Reuters reports.

In a letter to the UN Security Council, seen by Reuters, Iran’s UN Ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, referenced remarks made by Trump in interviews with the New York Post and Fox News, in which he spoke of a preference to do a deal to stop Tehran getting a nuclear weapon over bombing the country.

“These reckless and inflammatory statements flagrantly violate international law and the UN Charter,” Iravani wrote to the 15-member Council.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran warns that any act of aggression will have severe consequences, for which the US will bear full responsibility,” he said. “Iran will resolutely defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interests against any hostile action.”

Trump last week restored his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran that includes efforts to drive its oil exports down to zero in order to stop Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He also said he was open to a deal and expressed a willingness to talk to Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian.

Pezeshkian, on Monday, questioned the United States’ sincerity, while Iravani wrote in his letter that the US policy “reinforces unlawful, unilateral coercive measures and escalates hostility against Iran.”

Iravani urged the UN Security Council to condemn Trump’s “brazen rhetoric”.

Iran has denied wanting to develop a nuclear weapon. However, it is “dramatically” accelerating enrichment of uranium to up to 60 per cent purity, close to the roughly 90 per cent weapons-grade level, the UN nuclear watchdog chief told Reuters in December.

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