Wednesday 15 / July / 2026
Tehran: Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, said that the United States is the "aggressor, not the victim", accusing Washington of committing "gross violations" of the UN Charter by launching "two wars of aggression" alongside Israel without prior provocation, as reported by Iran's state news agency IRIB.
In a letter to the UN Secretary-General and the rotating president of the UN Security Council, Iravani rejected US allegations that Yemen's Houthi rebels act on behalf of Iran, saying, "The claim that Ansar Allah (Houthis) is acting on behalf of Iran is completely baseless."
He added that "the authorities in Sanaa represent a significant portion of the Yemeni people and make their decisions independently and in accordance with what they perceive to be the interests of the Yemeni people," calling the attempts to portray the group's action as being directed by Iran as "misleading, politically motivated, and without any evidence."
The rotating president of the United Nations Security Council for July 2026 is the Democratic Republic of the Congo, represented by Ambassador Zenon Mukongo Ngay, while the UN Secretary-General is Antonio Guterres.
The Iranian envoy also dismissed Washington's assertion that it remains committed to the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), stating, "The US claim that it is committed to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding is completely baseless and devoid of any evidence."
He further alleged that "almost immediately after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding and to this day, the US has consistently refused to implement its commitments and has actively and purposefully undermined the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding."
Iravani noted that Iran has documented "42 clear and fundamental violations of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding by the United States government".
Reiterating Tehran's position, Iravani said, "The United States is the aggressor, not the victim. It has committed gross violations of the United Nations Charter by launching two wars of aggression and without prior provocation, along with the Israeli regime."
The Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani was referencing Article 2(4) of the UN Charter. Article 2(4) strictly prohibits member states from using or threatening to use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any other state.
Meanwhile, the IRGC on Tuesday warned that the oil and gas export routes of the United States' allies could also be targeted after claiming strikes on the US Navy's Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain, saying, "the region's oil and gas exports are either for everyone or for no one."
According to the IRGC announcement, the force said it carried out the fifth wave of Operation Nasr 2, codenamed 'Mubarak Ya Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS)', and "smashed and destroyed" the NSI management centre [NSA Bahrain (Naval Support Activity Bahrain)], the command and control centre, large warehouses containing military parts and equipment, and fuel tanks at the US Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain.
The statement accused the United States of deploying its naval forces in the Indian Ocean and "claiming control of the Strait of Hormuz," alleging that Washington had effectively closed ocean routes to ships and deprived the world of the region's oil and gas.
The IRGC further warned, "The enemy should know that now that his bandits have closed the route for oil and gas exports to the world from the Indian Ocean, which endangers the interests of America's economic rivals, they should wait for the closure of other oil and gas export routes that serve the interests of America and its allies. The region's oil and gas exports are either for everyone or for no one."
On the other hand, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Tuesday said the US forces carried out another round of strikes against Iranian military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and along Iran's coast, targeting missile and drone sites, naval capabilities and coastal defence systems in a seven-hour operation aimed at degrading Tehran's ability to threaten commercial shipping.
In a statement, CENTCOM said it completed the additional wave of strikes at 10 p.m. ET on July 14 (Tuesday), with US fighter aircraft, drones and naval vessels launching precision munitions against dozens of military targets.
"US fighter aircraft, drones, and naval vessels launched precision munitions against Iranian missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, and coastal defence systems during the seven-hour wave to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian crews," the statement said.
CENTCOM added that the strikes took place on the same day US forces resumed a naval blockade against vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas. According to the statement, the blockade came into effect at 4 p.m. ET on July 14 (Tuesday).
"The strikes took place the same day US forces resumed the naval blockade against vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas. The blockade went into effect at 4 p.m. ET today," it said.
Reaffirming the US military's operational posture, CENTCOM said, "US forces remain vigilant, lethal, and prepared to execute operations directed by the Commander in Chief."
