Iran defends US base strikes as ‘self-defence’ amid Gulf tensions

Iran has pushed back against the United Nations’ warnings over rising military tensions in the Gulf, defending its recent strikes on US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait as a lawful act of self-defence rather than an act of aggression.

The Iranian government accused the United States of using the territories of regional allies as launch points for attacks against Iran, urging the United Nations to call on those countries to stop providing such support and to hold those responsible for violations of international law accountable.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran rejects the description of the current crisis as a “military confrontation,” arguing that the escalation began with what he called “a blatant and unprovoked act of aggression” by the United States and Israel on February 28.

In a post on X, Baqaei said, “This is not a ‘military confrontation’. It is the continuation of a blatant and unprovoked act of aggression initiated on 28 February by the United States and Israel.”

Defending Iran’s military response, he added, “Iran does not ‘attack’. Iran’s strikes on US military bases and assets stationed in the southern Persian Gulf constitute a legitimate and lawful exercise of its inherent right to self-defence under international law.”

Baqaei called on Gulf countries to prevent their territories from being used in operations against Iran, saying, “You should urge the countries in question to immediately cease allowing the United States to use their territories as launchpads for aggression against Iran.”

He also criticised what he described as an imbalance in international responses, saying it was unfair to blame Iran for defending its sovereignty while failing to hold the initiators of the conflict responsible.

The Iranian spokesperson further raised a separate diplomatic issue over the naming of the Gulf waters, insisting that the term “Persian Gulf” should be used in line with United Nations directives issued in 1994 and 1999.

“BTW, it is ‘Persian Gulf’; please be loyal to the UN directives,” Baqaei wrote, referring to the UN guidance requiring the use of the full term in official UN documents.

The statement came after UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres voiced deep concern over the widening military crisis in the region, including Iranian attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, US strikes on Iran, and Iranian attacks on targets in neighbouring countries.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Guterres had called on all sides to exercise “maximum restraint”, avoid further escalation and take immediate steps toward reducing tensions.

“These attacks must all stop,” the UN statement said, urging Iran and the United States to return to negotiations and resolve outstanding disputes through diplomacy.

The latest exchange of accusations has heightened fears of a broader regional conflict, with the Gulf region remaining on edge amid continued military activity and rising tensions between Tehran and Washington.

With IANS inputs