In a letter to UN Secretary General António Guterres and President of the UN Security Council Jamal Fares Alrowaiei on April 14, Saeed Iravani dismissed Bahrain’s claims as unfounded and misleading. He reaffirmed Iran’s position that the aggressors, primarily the United States and the Israeli regime, have unlawfully utilized the territories of Bahrain and other neighboring states to launch attacks on Iran.

What follows is the text of the letter:

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

Excellencies,

Upon instructions from my Government, and further to our previous communications, I wish to respond to the letter dated 7 April 2026 from the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations, addressed to the President of the Security Council and the Secretary General on behalf of a number of neighboring States of the Persian Gulf (S/2026/298).

The Islamic Republic of Iran categorically dismisses as wholly unfounded and deliberately misleading the assertions claimed in said letter. In this regard, I am further instructed to place on record the definitive affirmation of the clear international responsibility borne by the same States as a consequence of their own internationally wrongful acts.

As already set out in our multiple and documented previous communications, on 28 February 2026, the United States of America and the Israeli regime carried out an unlawful armed attack against the Islamic Republic of Iran, in flagrant violation of the cardinal principles of international law, including the prohibition of the use of force and the peremptory norm (jus cogens) prohibiting aggression. The communication in question deliberately omits this central and determinative fact and instead seeks to reverse the factual and legal framework, including by attributing responsibility to the very State that has been the victim of aggression.

Regrettably, from the initial stages of preparation and from the very first day of the act of aggression, as well as throughout the commission of war crimes, the facilities, territory and airspace of certain States in the region were unlawfully placed at the disposal of the aggressors for the purpose of carrying out acts of aggression and perpetrating heinous crimes against civilian targets, including children, innocent people, and protected objects such as schools, hospitals, cultural property and other civilian infrastructure. By way of example, barbaric terrorist attacks against a school in Minab, resulting in the loss of the lives of at least 168 primary school girls and boys, were launched from the territory of those same States. It is clear that such conduct falls within the scope of Article 3(f) of General Assembly resolution 3314 (XXIX).

According to monitoring data and assessments conducted by the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the aggressors have repeatedly utilised the territory and airspace of those States for the planning, preparation, arming and execution of unlawful military operations against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Specific instances of such conduct have already been formally communicated through diplomatic notes addressed to the States concerned.

Moreover, physical remnants recovered from the weaponry employed in the commission of this aggression-identified across multiple affected cities confirm that such weapons formed part of the arsenals of certain States in the Persian Gulf. The evidence presented clearly demonstrates that those States have not only aided and abetted the aggressors but have themselves engaged in the commission of acts of aggression, as defined under customary international law and codified in General Assembly resolution 3314 (XXIX). In particular, their conduct falls within Article 3 (a), (b) and (d) of that resolution.

Such conduct, as a matter of customary international law reflected in Article 16 of the International Law Commission's Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts, engages the international responsibility of those States, which are consequently required to make full reparation, including, in particular, the provision of full compensation for the damage caused by acts of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

With regard to the allegations of terrorism, the Islamic Republic of Iran, as a major victim of terrorism, has long demonstrated its unwavering determination, firm commitment and decisive role in the fight against terrorism by effectively assisting affected States in combating and diminishing terrorist groups such as Al-Qaida and ISIS. At the same time, certain attacks brazenly organized and perpetrated against government officials and scientists of the Islamic Republic of Iran remain unaccounted for.

Baseless allegations concerning the purported "links" of the Islamic Republic of Iran to terrorist groups such as Al-Qaida, while deliberately disregarding the substantial human and financial costs borne by Iran in combating terrorist and extremist groups, cannot obscure either the historical links between such terrorist groups and certain claimant blocs and organizations, or the true nature and origin of the ongoing aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Furthermore, it must be recalled that the primary source of instability in the region is, without a shred of doubt, the actions of the Israeli regime, carried out under the auspices of the United States. Resistance movements such as Hezbollah and resistance groups in Iraq, as natural responses to apartheid, occupation and terrorism, form integral components of the national fabric and identity of their respective countries. These movements have emerged organically and spontaneously in response to prolonged acts of aggression and occupation, and are duly represented within the political systems of those countries. The Islamic Republic of Iran, acting in accordance with its Constitution and in line with international law, and consistent with its principled position of supporting such movements.

It is deeply regrettable that certain governments in the region continue to repeat narratives dictated by the Israeli regime, rather than fulfilling their moral and religious responsibilities to support the resistance movements against the occupation.

The Islamic Republic of Iran hereby expresses its strong and unequivocal objection to these unlawful actions and calls upon the Member States in the Persian Gulf to comply fully with their international obligations, without shifting the focus of the Security Council to such unfounded and false allegations. This includes the immediate and sustained cessation of any forms of aggression, either from their territory or by their armed forces.

The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves all its rights under international law to hold accountable those whose internationally wrongful acts have contributed to the aggression against its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Persistent attempts to distort the facts and evade responsibility not only risk further escalation but also constitute a serious threat to international peace and security. The Security Council must, in full conformity with the Charter of the United Nations, address the direct causes of the present situation-namely, the unlawful use of force, war crimes, abhorrent acts of terrorism, and the complicity of States that have facilitated such unlawful acts against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

I should be grateful if you would have the present letter circulated as an official document of the Security Council.

Please accept, Excellencies, the assurances of my highest consideration.