Iran-Israel conflict
\n TEHRAN
\nAmbassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva Ali Bahreini has reaffirmed Iran\u2019s right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
\nHE said on Wednesday that Tehran had warned Washington that it would face a \u201ccrushing response\u201d if the United States directly participated in Israel\u2019s military operations.
\nIn Iran\u2019s view, the United States is \u201can accomplice in Israel\u2019s attacks,\u201d Bahreini told reporters, Reuters reported. He did not specify what action Iran might take, but added that Iran had set a red line and that if the United States crossed it, Tehran would respond.
\nIsrael launched its airstrikes on Friday after Iran said it was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. While Iran denies having nuclear weapons, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for the \u201cunconditional surrender\u201d of the Iranian regime.
\nBahreini called Trump\u2019s comments \u201ccompletely unnecessary and very hostile.\u201d \u201cWe cannot ignore these words,\u201d he said. We are sensitive to what Trump says and we take that into account in our calculations and assessments.\u201d
\nThe United States has so far taken only indirect steps to help Israel, including helping to shoot down missiles fired from Iran toward Israel. However, three US officials told Reuters that Washington was sending more warplanes to the Middle East and extending the deployment of fighter jets.
\nIn response to the US military moves, Iran\u2019s ambassador to the United Nations said: \u201cI am confident that the Iranian armed forces will respond in a forceful, proportionate and timely manner. We are closely monitoring the level of US involvement… We will respond whenever necessary.\u201d
\nReuters reported, citing Iranian domestic media, that thousands of Iranian citizens evacuated Tehran and other major Iranian cities on Wednesday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Iran-Israel conflict TEHRAN Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva Ali Bahreini has reaffirmed Iran\u2019s right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. HE said on Wednesday that Tehran had warned Washington that it would face a \u201ccrushing response\u201d if the United States directly participated in Israel\u2019s military operations. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":485177,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-485167","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n