President Donald Trump launched a surprise attack on Iranian nuclear bases on Saturday night, hitting three underground sites alleged to be enriching weapons-grade uranium. In response, Iran has promised “everlasting consequences” for the assault.
“The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran’s peaceful nuclear installations,” Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, wrote in a statement.
“The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior.”
Experts have cautioned that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s response to the attacks could result in attacks on American citizens and military personnel in the region.
“If you start going up that escalation ladder, they can act asymmetrically, as we said, with terrorism, militias, hostage-taking,” Richard Haass, adviser to Colin Powell and George W. Bush, told CNN. “It’s what they do.”
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned in a statement that America’s intervention in Iran is a “dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge—and a direct threat to international peace and security.”
“There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control—with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,“ Guterres wrote.
The U.N. leader called on all member states—including Iran—to “de-escalate” and uphold the rules of international law. However, Iran’s foreign minister does not seem inclined to follow such level-headed direction, invoking those same rules to justify Iran’s potential response.
“In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people,” Araghchi said.
The U.S. State Department has already begun evacuating Americans from Israel in anticipation of the escalation of this conflict.
