Iran Alerts UN on Reports of Assassination Plans For FM Araghchi, Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf

New York: Iran has formally informed the United Nations about media reports which cited US and Israeli plans to assassinate senior Iranian leadership officials, which include Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, according to a report by Press TV.

As per Press TV, Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, Amir Saeed Iravani expressed deep concern over the reported assassination plots in an official letter on Thursday addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the President of the Security Council.

"I draw the immediate attention of Your Excellency and the members of the Security Council to the reports published in the media. These reports indicate that the United States and the Israeli regime have identified and designated high-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Mr. Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, as assassination targets. The reports describe any suspension of such plans as merely temporary", he said.

Press TV further reported that the ambassador emphasised the reports point to an operational framework aimed at assassinating Iran's highest political officials.

"Such a policy clearly indicates a serious violation of the peremptory rules of international law. The conditional nature of the alleged 'suspension' also confirms that the threat remains real, deliberate, and ongoing," Iravani said.

Iravani called assassinating of high-ranking officials of a sovereign UN member state a flagrant violation of the UN Charter and breach of international human rights law, further noting that any attack on their lives would undermine the foundations of peaceful international relations and said that Iran firmly condemns any attempt to normalize the assassination of high-ranking government officials, describing it as a destructive and biased policy that represents state terrorism, sets a dangerous precedent, and poses a serious threat to international peace and security.

Press TV also reported that in separate letters, Iravani issued strong protests to the United Nations against Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates for allowing their territory and airspace to be used by the United States and the Israeli to carry out attacks on Iranian soil.

"Considering the international responsibility of states arising from making their territory available for committing acts of aggression and carrying out armed attacks against the territory of a third state, the Islamic Republic of Iran has expressed its strong and firm protest against the above-mentioned illegal actions," Iravani said.

He called on Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates to prevent any further use of their territory against Iran and underlined that while it respects the sovereignty of these states, Tehran reserves its legitimate right to take all necessary and appropriate measures -- including the exercise of its inherent right of self-defence -- in order to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence.

The developments come as the US-Israel and Iran conflict stands in its fourth week now. Earlier, US President Trump signalled a thaw in operations against Iran, saying that Iran had sought a seven-day pause on American strikes targeting its energy infrastructure, but he decided to extend the window to 10 days to April 6, however the strikes by the combined US-Israel forces continue.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced the launch of the 83rd wave of Operation True Promise 4 in the early hours of Friday, which targeted key American and Israeli military installations across the region with advanced missiles and drones. 

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