The Iranian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani, stated that "Iran's presence in Syria is entirely legal," warning that "Iran will take decisive action to protect its forces, interests, and facilities against any threat or illegal action by the U.S. or others." This was stated in a message Iravani addressed to the President of the Security Council and the Secretary-General of the organization.
Iravani rejected the accusations made by the U.S. against Iran in Syria, saying: "We strongly condemn the illegal military attacks carried out by U.S. forces on civilian infrastructure in Syria on March 23, 2023, which resulted in the death of innocent civilians and caused severe damage to infrastructure in Syria." He viewed the U.S. reference to the right to self-defense according to Article 51 of the United Nations Charter to justify its armed attacks on civilian infrastructure in Syria as nothing more than an arbitrary and incorrect interpretation of Article 51 of international law, which is indefensible, invalid, and lacks any legal basis, calling on the U.S. to "cease its illegal actions and respect Syria's national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity."
