Ali Bagheri Kani addressed the extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday at Iran's request following the assassination of Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the violation of Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"The United Nations Security Council, which bears the responsibility for maintaining international peace and security must fulfill its responsibility for such a serious violation and horrific crimes committed by the Zionist Israeli regime against Iran and hold the Israeli regime to account for committing such crimes and violations, and the perpetrators must be tried and punished," the interim Iranian foreign minister underscored.
He also said that the United States as the major backer of the Israeli regime needs to be held to account for violating Iran's sovereignty in both cases of the Israeli regime's bombing of its consulate in Damascus and assassinating Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
"After the cowardly terrorist attack of the Israeli regime on the diplomatic premises of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Damascus, we immediately informed the Security Council of the illegal actions by this regime and asked the Council to firmly condemn such a criminal and terrorist act and called for taking the necessary measures to prevent repetition of such crimes and violations," Bagheri Kani said.
"But the US not only did not take a stance in condemning the strike, but instead prevented the Security Council from fulfilling its inherent duty to maintain international peace and security and prevented the Council from issuing a proposed press statement condemning the barbaric action of the Israeli regime, whereby blocking diplomatic channels," he added.
"Currently, in the absence of any appropriate action by the Security Council against the aggressions and violations of the Israeli regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no choice but to use its inherent right to legitimate self-defense against the aggressions of the regime. Such an action is necessary to prevent further encroachments of this regime on the sovereignty, nationals and territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran and will be carried out at the appropriate time and in a proportionate manner," Bagheri Kani underscored.
Prior to addressing the OIC meeting, the acting Iranian foreign minister met and discussed with the Secretary General of the OIC.
After the assassination of Hamas Chief in Tehran, Ali Bagheri held telephone consultations with several foreign ministers, as well as with the Secretary General of the United Nations and the head of the European Union's foreign policy.
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