UN Security Council to meet today over Israeli attack on Iran

(Patria) - The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will meet today to discuss the Israeli attack on Iran, the presiding country - Switzerland - announced yesterday.

The Swiss mission to the UN announced that Iran, with the support of Algeria, China, and Russia, requested the meeting, Reuters reports.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi requested an urgent UNSC meeting for the UN body to take a decisive stance and condemn Israel's aggression.

In a letter to the 15-member UNSC, Araghchi stated that Israel's actions pose a serious threat to international peace and security and further destabilize an already fragile region.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran, in accordance with the principles contained in the UN Charter and international law, reserves its inherent right to a legal and legitimate response to these criminal attacks at an appropriate time," Araghchi stated in the letter sent regarding Israeli attacks on military sites in Iran on the night between Friday and Saturday.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon rejected Iran's claims, stating in a press release that Tehran is trying to act against Israel in the diplomatic arena with "baseless claims that Israel has violated international law".

"As we have already said, we have the right and the duty to defend ourselves and we will use all means at our disposal to protect the citizens of Israel," Danon said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to all parties to reduce military actions, including in Gaza and Lebanon, and to make maximum efforts to prevent the outbreak of war in the entire region and return to diplomatic means of resolving conflicts.

Israel attacked Iran in retaliation for Iranian missile attacks from October 1, as well as for Hamas attacks in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah attacks in Lebanon, organizations supported by Tehran.

The Israeli army claims to have targeted missile production facilities and surface-to-air missile batteries, as well as other Iranian military aviation systems, after Iran fired about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1 in retaliation for the killing of senior Hezbollah and Hamas officials.

Araghchi also stated in his letter to the UNSC that most of the Israeli missiles were intercepted by Iranian defense systems, adding that certain "targeted points" suffered damage and that four Iranian soldiers were killed.