Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has written to the United Nations Security Council ahead of a meeting set to take place later today, saying that Israel “has now crossed every red line, and the international community must not allow these crimes to go unpunished”.

He added that Iran “reaffirms its inherent right to self-defence as enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter and will respond decisively and proportionately to these unlawful and cowardly acts”.

Article 51 of the UN Charter covers the individual or collective right of states to self-defense against armed attack.

He further called on the UN Security Council and the secretery-general to condemn the aggression and take “immediate and unequivocal action”.

“Failure to respond will only embolden the aggressor, reward impunity, and fuel further chaos in an already fragile region,” he warned.