At a BRICS meeting in New Delhi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi accused the UAE of being an 'aggressor' by facilitating military attacks on Iran, stating Tehran had no option but to act in self-defense under the UN Charter.
At the second session of the Meeting of BRICS Foreign Ministers in New Delhi, Kazem Gharibabadi, Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, strongly rebuked the remarks made by the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, who had accused Iran of attacking the UAE, the Embassy of Iran said on Thursday.
As per the Embassy of Iran, Gharibabadi accused the UAE of playing a significant role in "supporting and facilitating the military aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran", further noting that "a party that itself contributed to the creation and escalation of tensions lacks any legitimacy to level political accusations and claims against Iran."
Iran Labels UAE an 'Aggressor'
Gharibabadi recalled the 1974 United Nations General Assembly Resolution and added that it "makes clear that when countries facilitate and provide services to aggressors, this is not merely assistance; such conduct itself constitutes aggression."
"Therefore, the UAE is an aggressor, not merely an accomplice to aggression," he said.
Iran Claims Self-Defense Under UN Charter
The Iranian official added that Iran could not tolerate the situation any longer, which resulted in attacks on its people and infrastructure, accusing the UAE of collusion with the aggressors.
"We are a powerful and great country with a proud nation, and we could not stand by while our people and infrastructure were targeted by aggressors, especially with the participation and cooperation of one of our neighbors, namely the United Arab Emirates," Gharibabadi said.
He added that Tehran's actions were compliant with the UN Charter, the right to defend itself and said, "We had no option but to target all facilities of U.S. bases in the UAE, or any facilities and installations in the UAE in which the United States had a role or participation. This was a war, and in that war we defended our country. This action was fully consistent with the Charter of the United Nations and within the framework of the inherent right of self-defense. The UAE is an aggressor. You cannot hide behind these lies and hollow allegations. The only country that must fulfill its obligations under international law is the UAE."
UAE Accused of Ignoring Iranian Warnings
Gharibabadi said that Iran had shared with the regional countries, including the UAE about information regarding the possibility of attacks by the US and Israel and warned them that if they assisted the "aggressors" and made their territory and facilities available to them, Iran would exercise its legitimate right of self-defense by targeting those facilities in defence of its country.
"You may personally be unaware of these matters, but your senior officials were certainly informed. You ignored these warnings and are now attempting to portray yourselves as victims, whereas the real victim is the Islamic Republic of Iran, not the United Arab Emirates", he said.
UAE's 'Direct Involvement' Led to Casualties, Says Iran
He accused the UAE of direct involvement in the attacks against the country, which resulted in thousands of casualties, and said, "With your assistance and participation, and through the UAE's direct involvement in the aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran, 130,000 civilian targets were attacked by the aggressors. More than 4,000 innocent civilians have been martyred. You can no longer hide behind false claims and narratives that contradict the realities on the ground. You are the aggressor; therefore, you cannot accuse Iran of aggression."
Iran to Pursue International Legal Action
Gharibabadi said that Iran would pursue the matter through legal and international channels and that so far it has submitted over 120 official diplomatic notes to the United Nations Security Council on this matter, totalling more than 500 pages.
"Furthermore, every warplane that took off from the UAE has been documented, including the exact time, date, and flight path", he added.
Call to Unite Against 'American Bullying'
Also on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, at the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting, called for countries to unite against American bullying, arguing that such practices must be consigned to the "dustbin of history."
Addressing the gathering, Araghchi said many countries present were familiar with "slight variations of the same repugnant coercion". He urged BRICS nations to respond collectively and more assertively.
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