
Iranian ambassador slams US and Zionist strikes as violation of international law
Envoy meets Kuwait Times Editor-in-Chief on visit to newspaper
KUWAIT: Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait Mohammad Toutounchi strongly condemned on Sunday what he described as a 'coordinated and armed aggression' carried out by the Zionist entity and the United States, calling the attacks a flagrant violation of international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter.
During a meeting with Kuwait Times Editor-in-Chief Dr M Ziad Al-Alyan, the ambassador insisted that Iran's recent actions were legitimate acts of self-defense. He noted that the initial Zionist strikes on Iranian facilities had failed to meet their objectives, prompting direct US intervention. 'We were certain from the beginning that Israel would not act without coordination with the United States,' he stated. 'What happened last night confirmed our expectations.'
Toutounchi also criticized the failure of international organizations to condemn or respond to the escalation. 'These international institutions took no initiative or action to halt this assault. This exposes the fragility of the international system in the face of political pressure, particularly that exerted by the Zionist lobby in the United States,' he said.
The ambassador went on to accuse both the United States and the Zionist entity — nuclear-armed states — of launching an attack on a country that does not possess such weapons, calling it a blatant violation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. 'This aggression clearly shows that the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has lost its true meaning in the face of American political interests,' he said.
Praising the response of some Gulf states, including Kuwait, Toutounchi noted that there had been coordination and high-level communication between foreign ministries, which ensured the safe evacuation of Kuwaiti nationals from Iranian cities affected by the strikes. He expressed particular concern over the targeting of nuclear facilities, calling it 'a reckless gamble that disregards international treaties and conventions'. 'What happened indicates that these two regimes (the US and the Zionist entity) place no value on human life. Their only concern is imposing dominance, even if the price is a nuclear disaster in the region,' he added.
In response to recent statements by US President Donald Trump claiming success in dismantling Iran's nuclear program, the ambassador dismissed the remarks as 'full of contradictions and typical media propaganda'. 'They were aiming to overthrow the Islamic system, but they have returned empty-handed and are now trying to cover up their failures with such falsified statements, which in reality reflect their defeat,' he said.
Toutounchi reaffirmed that Iran's nuclear program is 'entirely national in origin' and remains unaffected by attacks. He stressed that all of Iran's peaceful nuclear activities are under the supervision and monitoring of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 'All of Iran's actions are declared and under international oversight. No political or military pressure will deter us from continuing to develop our defensive capabilities,' he added.
In a press statement, the ambassador reiterated that the attack represents an unprecedented and egregious violation of the UN Charter and international law. He held the US government 'fully responsible for the extremely serious consequences of this major crime'. He urged the United Nations, the Security Council, the UN Secretary-General, the IAEA and other relevant international bodies to take urgent action against what he described as a criminal breach of international law.
'Iran reminds the world that silence in the face of such blatant aggression puts global peace and security at unprecedented risk. As a founding member of the United Nations, the Islamic Republic of Iran expects the organization and its responsible members to fulfill their duties at a time when the world is witnessing a clear violation of the law by the United States,' Toutounchi concluded.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Kuwait Times
4 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Ankara slams Zionist assaults, UNRWA to open office in Turkey
ISTANBUL: The United Nations' Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA will open an office in Ankara, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday, urging Muslim countries to give the agency more support after the Zionist entity banned it. Turkey has called the Zionist entity's assault on Gaza genocide and its move to ban UNRWA a violation of international law, particularly amid worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza, which has been reduced to rubble with millions displaced. Addressing foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul, Erdogan said opening an Ankara UNRWA office would deepen Turkey's support for the agency. 'We must not allow UNRWA, which plays an irreplaceable role in terms of taking care of Palestinian refugees, to be paralyzed by (the Zionist entity). We expect our organization and each member state to provide financial and moral support to UNRWA to thwart (the Zionist entity's) games,' Erdogan said. A Turkish diplomatic source said Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini were expected to sign an accord on the sidelines of the OIC meeting in Istanbul on establishing the office. Turkey has given UNRWA $10 million a year between 2023 and 2025. In 2024, it also transferred $2 million and sent another $3 million from its AFAD disaster management authority. Fidan on Saturday accused the Zionist entity of leading the Middle East towards 'total disaster' by attacking Iran on June 13. Iran and Zionist entity have been at war for nine days after the Zionist entity, claiming the Islamic Republic was on the brink of acquiring a nuclear weapon, launched a massive wave of strikes on its archrival, triggering an immediate response from Tehran. '(The Zionist entity) is now leading the region to the brink of total disaster by attacking Iran, our neighbor,' Fidan told a meeting of top diplomats of the OIC. 'There is no Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian, Yemeni or Iranian problem but there is clearly a (Zionist) problem,' he said. He called for an end to the 'unlimited aggression' against Iran. 'We must prevent the situation from deteriorating into a spiral of violence that would further jeopardize regional and global security,' he added. Speaking after Fidan, Erdogan accused Western leaders of providing 'unconditional support' to the Zionist entity. A trenchant critic of the Zionist entity's actions in both Gaza and Iran, Erdogan called for 'high-level peace talks' between Tehran and the United States, according to his office, adding that Turkey was ready to play a 'facilitator' role to help bring an end to the war. Erdogan, who met Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of Saturday's meeting, said Turkey would not allow borders in the Middle East to be redrawn 'in blood'. 'It is vital for us to show more solidarity to end (the Zionist entity's) banditry — not only in Palestine but also in Syria, in Lebanon and in Iran,' he told the OIC's 57 member countries. The OIC, founded in 1969, says its mission is to 'safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony'. According to Qatar's foreign ministry, Araghchi also met the Gulf state's top diplomat in Istanbul, who said he was working to bring the sides 'back to the path of dialogue'. – Agencies

Kuwait Times
4 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Second flight brings more Kuwaitis home from Iran
KUWAIT: Relatives welcome their loved ones who were evacuated from Iran after they arrived at Kuwait International Airport (T4) on Sunday, as part of an ongoing emergency operation to return stranded nationals. — KUNA photos KUWAIT: A new group of citizens evacuated from Iran arrived at Kuwait International Airport (T4) on Sunday, as part of an ongoing emergency operation to return nationals stranded due to the Zionist entity's attack on Iran and Tehran's retaliation. 'In line with the State of Kuwait's keenness to ensure the safety of its citizens abroad and guarantee their safe return to the homeland, the second batch of evacuation flights carrying Kuwaiti citizens arriving from the Islamic Republic of Iran has landed today, Sunday, via the Republic of Turkmenistan,' Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) said Sunday. The operation is part of a large-scale evacuation plan being implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in coordination with relevant authorities. The first evacuation flight arrived in Kuwait early Saturday, carrying 334 citizens who had been transported overland from cities across Iran to Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, before flying home aboard a Kuwait Airways plane. 'The concerned authorities continue around the clock to complete all stages of the evacuation and provide all necessary facilities, in translation of the political leadership's directives and its constant concern for the safety of citizens abroad and their safe return to the homeland,' said KUNA. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah personally received the evacuees at Kuwait International Airport and praised the efforts of all agencies involved. The evacuations were prompted by intensifying conflict between the Zionist entity and Iran, now entering its second week. While no injuries have been reported among Kuwaiti nationals, the government activated a comprehensive evacuation strategy to safeguard citizens in Iran. 'The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has prepared a comprehensive emergency evacuation plan for Kuwaiti citizens in Iran in light of the accelerating developments in the region,' Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya told Kuwait News Agency last week. Assistant Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs Sameeh Hayat confirmed that over 1,000 Kuwaitis are expected to be evacuated 'as quickly as possible.' — Agencies

Kuwait Times
4 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Iranian ambassador slams US and Zionist strikes as violation of international law
Envoy meets Kuwait Times Editor-in-Chief on visit to newspaper KUWAIT: Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait Mohammad Toutounchi strongly condemned on Sunday what he described as a 'coordinated and armed aggression' carried out by the Zionist entity and the United States, calling the attacks a flagrant violation of international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter. During a meeting with Kuwait Times Editor-in-Chief Dr M Ziad Al-Alyan, the ambassador insisted that Iran's recent actions were legitimate acts of self-defense. He noted that the initial Zionist strikes on Iranian facilities had failed to meet their objectives, prompting direct US intervention. 'We were certain from the beginning that Israel would not act without coordination with the United States,' he stated. 'What happened last night confirmed our expectations.' Toutounchi also criticized the failure of international organizations to condemn or respond to the escalation. 'These international institutions took no initiative or action to halt this assault. This exposes the fragility of the international system in the face of political pressure, particularly that exerted by the Zionist lobby in the United States,' he said. The ambassador went on to accuse both the United States and the Zionist entity — nuclear-armed states — of launching an attack on a country that does not possess such weapons, calling it a blatant violation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. 'This aggression clearly shows that the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has lost its true meaning in the face of American political interests,' he said. Praising the response of some Gulf states, including Kuwait, Toutounchi noted that there had been coordination and high-level communication between foreign ministries, which ensured the safe evacuation of Kuwaiti nationals from Iranian cities affected by the strikes. He expressed particular concern over the targeting of nuclear facilities, calling it 'a reckless gamble that disregards international treaties and conventions'. 'What happened indicates that these two regimes (the US and the Zionist entity) place no value on human life. Their only concern is imposing dominance, even if the price is a nuclear disaster in the region,' he added. In response to recent statements by US President Donald Trump claiming success in dismantling Iran's nuclear program, the ambassador dismissed the remarks as 'full of contradictions and typical media propaganda'. 'They were aiming to overthrow the Islamic system, but they have returned empty-handed and are now trying to cover up their failures with such falsified statements, which in reality reflect their defeat,' he said. Toutounchi reaffirmed that Iran's nuclear program is 'entirely national in origin' and remains unaffected by attacks. He stressed that all of Iran's peaceful nuclear activities are under the supervision and monitoring of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 'All of Iran's actions are declared and under international oversight. No political or military pressure will deter us from continuing to develop our defensive capabilities,' he added. In a press statement, the ambassador reiterated that the attack represents an unprecedented and egregious violation of the UN Charter and international law. He held the US government 'fully responsible for the extremely serious consequences of this major crime'. He urged the United Nations, the Security Council, the UN Secretary-General, the IAEA and other relevant international bodies to take urgent action against what he described as a criminal breach of international law. 'Iran reminds the world that silence in the face of such blatant aggression puts global peace and security at unprecedented risk. As a founding member of the United Nations, the Islamic Republic of Iran expects the organization and its responsible members to fulfill their duties at a time when the world is witnessing a clear violation of the law by the United States,' Toutounchi concluded.