Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that Tehran intends to use “all available means” to exercise its right to self-defense in response to US actions that, according to the Iranian side, violate the UN Charter.

The Foreign Ministry statement says that the US naval blockade and strikes on military and civilian targets in Iran and beyond constitute a “flagrant violation” of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry also criticized the UN Security Council, saying it had failed to take the necessary action despite the ongoing developments, Mehr reports.

The ministry compared the current situation to the Security Council’s inaction during the Iran-Iraq War and described the UN secretary-general’s statements as “vague and ambiguous.”

According to Tehran’s statement, US actions over the past 15 months meet all three criteria under Article 39 of the UN Charter, which provides for Security Council intervention in the event of a threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression.

Iran also accused Washington of a premeditated violation of the June 18 ceasefire. The Foreign Ministry said that from July 5 to 17, US frigates repeatedly escorted large oil and gas carriers, and that the US military allegedly used commercial vessels to transport personnel and military equipment.

According to Tehran’s statement, disabling tracking systems on the vessels was necessary to conceal their movements from Iran’s armed forces.

In addition, the ministry claims that the United States used incidents involving three vessels as a pretext for a new wave of strikes; Tehran says the ships were following an “unauthorized and unsafe” route through the Strait of Hormuz.

The statement also emphasizes that Iran “harbors no hostility toward the countries of the region” and seeks to maintain friendly relations with the neighboring states of the Persian Gulf.

At the same time, Tehran warned that allowing territory or infrastructure to be used for attacks on Iran could be regarded as an act of aggression in accordance with the UN definition.

In conclusion, the Foreign Ministry said that Iran will continue to “firmly defend national dignity and independence” against what the ministry called the “American-Zionist coalition.”