Statement  By   H.E. Mr. Ali BAHREINI  Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva  Before  OIC - Ambassadorial meeting Geneva, 16 June 2025 ***** بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Allow me first to thank you all for attending this important and urgent meeting. I address you today not only as the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran, but as a voice for the people of Iran—innocent men, women, and children—who have once again become victims of an unjust, inhumane, and illegal act of aggression by the Israeli regime. In the early hours of the morning on 13 June, the world witnessed a large-scale war of aggression, in gross violation of all rules and principles of the international law, against the populated cities, residential areas, ordinary civilians, non-military infrastructures including energy supply infrastructures of IR of Iran.  At the same time and in connection with those reckless attacks, several assassinations of senior Iranian military officials and scientists were carried out in Tehran, further attesting to the terrorist nature of this regime.  This premeditated, reckless and unprovoked series of attacks against the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of the Islamic Republic of Iran was launched in a blatant breach and defiance of the fundamental rules and principles of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations and International Humanitarian Law (IHL). As declared by the prime minister of the Israeli military apartheid regime it has been planning this assault against the Islamic Republic of Iran for years and finally have chosen this premeditated consequential war, consequently the regime and it enablers have to take all the responsibility and pay the price of this unjustifiable and unprovoked act of aggression. To date, tens of civilians — including innocent women and a large number of children — have tragically lost their lives as a result of the Israeli regime’s heinous acts of aggression, which constitute a clear violation of international humanitarian law and amount to war crimes. The Israeli regime continues to deliberately target civilians and civilian infrastructure in blatant disregard of its international legal obligations. These were brutal and indiscriminate strikes aimed at residential neighborhoods in multiple Iranian cities. According to the official statement from our Ministry of Health, as of noon on Sunday, 224 Iranians have lost their lives—among them many women and a large number of children. An additional 1,277 individuals are hospitalized in medical centers, and the total number of casualties—including those who have died and those injured—now exceeds 1,481. At least 522 of the injured have been treated and discharged, but dozens remain in critical condition. Undoubtedly, such developments are unlikely to come as a surprise to this regime and its Western allies who have over the years, grown accustomed to the repeated and indiscriminate targeting of civilians in Palestine and Gaza, despite their persistent claims and hypocritical posturing on human rights. Some of these heinous attacks targeted Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities, specifically the Natanz and Fordow enrichment sites, which are fully safeguarded and monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency These reckless and unlawful acts also constitute clear violations of international legal norms and principles, including international humanitarian law (IHL), the Statute of the IAEA, and relevant resolutions of the Agency. They represent a serious transgression of well-established red lines in international law. The longstanding position of the Islamic Republic of Iran—repeatedly expressed—that aggression and criminality are inherent to the nature of the Israeli regime has now been unambiguously demonstrated. In a particularly disturbing development, five car bombs were detonated within one hour in Tehran as part of a coordinated terror operation. These attacks were carried out by Israeli-linked mercenaries using homemade drones and remote explosives. Thankfully, our security forces have already defused many other bombs and arrested numerous individuals linked to these operations. We expect Israel’s operational capacity for further terrorism to decrease in the coming days. But this fact only highlights the criminal methods of this regime—cowardly acts of terror hidden behind drone warfare and mercenary networks It is difficult to conceive that such aggressions and crimes could have been committed by the Israeli regime without the approval and unwavering support of certain Western governments, including the United States. Regrettably, in this juncture, certain Western countries that have been complicit in the crimes and atrocities committed by the regime of Israel have found themselves on the wrong side. With shameless double standards, they seek to justify the aggressive actions of this regime and surprisingly criticize the party lawfully exercising its right to self-defense. Distinguished Colleagues, We did not choose to initiate this war; rather, it was imposed upon us through acts of aggression against our territorial integrity and political independence, even as we were preparing for another round of negotiations aimed at addressing unfounded concerns about our country’s peaceful nuclear program, in exchange for the complete lifting of the unjust sanctions imposed on our nation. It is evident that the Israeli regime persistently seeks to disrupt any initiative aimed at achieving peaceful and negotiated solutions. In light of the fact that we have been forcibly drawn into this conflict, we have no choice but to defend our nationals, territorial integrity, and political independence in full accordance with the principles of international law, including Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and International Humanitarian Law (IHL). In this line, Iran will respond firmly and proportionately to the unlawful and cowardly acts, in full accordance with international law. Iran remains fully determined to safeguard its sovereignty, its citizens, and its national security through all its defensive capabilities. We will persist in exercising our legitimate right to respond firmly and decisively, for as long as the unlawful and aggressive actions of the Israeli regime against Iran continue. The Israeli regime, an embodiment of absolute evil and a scourge upon the region and the world, has crossed all red lines and violated all international norms, enabled by the persistent inaction of the international community and foremost among international bodies, the United Nations Security Council. We reiterate our calls upon the international community to take action in response to the numerous and ongoing crimes and violations committed by the Israeli regime. Yet, not only has the international community failed to take any meaningful action, but we have also witnessed continued and comprehensive political, financial, military, and logistical support extended to this criminal and terrorist regime by certain countries. The international community must not allow these crimes to go unpunished and must stop this regime’s aggressive behaviors immediately. This is not merely a military assault on a sovereign nation—it is a direct attack on the very principles that underpin the international legal order. We express our appreciation to those countries that have thus far condemned the crimes and violations committed by the Israeli regime against Iran's. We call upon all responsible and peace-loving members of the international community not to remain indifferent in the face of the Israeli regime’s unlawful and terrorist actions. This latest aggression is the direct result of the international community’s repeated failures—its failure to stop the occupation of Palestine, its failure to halt the genocide in Gaza, and its failure to hold this regime accountable. It is time for a serious reckoning. Your Excellencies, We call upon all Islamic nations to do the following: 1- Clearly and publicly condemn the aggression of the Israeli regime as an act of war and terrorism. Do not allow euphemisms or neutral language to replace truth. 2- Support the inclusion of a strong resolution at the upcoming 59th session of the Human Rights Council, which explicitly names this aggression and demands accountability. 3- Call for an emergency meeting of the United Nations General Assembly under the Uniting for Peace resolution to address this unlawful assault and take collective measures under international law. 4- Demand that the Security Council fulfill its duties under the UN Charter and act under Chapter VII to stop further Israeli attacks and impose consequences for its crimes. 5- Support calls for the complete nuclear disarmament of Israel, a regime whose possession of nuclear weapons threatens the very survival of the region and the global non-proliferation order. Let us not be silent partners to injustice. Let us not be paralyzed by fear or diplomatic pressure. Let us show that the Islamic community stands united in the face of tyranny, occupation, and aggression. Iran will continue to stand tall as it has in the past millennia. I thank you. ---