In a formal letter to UN Secretary General António Guterres and President of the UN Security Council Fu Cong on May 22, Saeed Iravani responded to recent communications submitted by Kuwait and Bahrain, arguing that the two countries, along with several other regional states, had attempted to distort the legal and factual context of the conflict by blaming Iran while ignoring the unlawful US and Israeli attacks against Iran.

The Iranian envoy said public statements by senior US officials, including the commander of CENTCOM, as well as media reports, confirmed that several states on the southern shores of the Persian Gulf had cooperated closely with Washington during the war against Iran.

What follows is the full text of his letter:

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

Excellencies,

Upon instructions from my Government, and further to our previous communications concerning the premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified war of aggression perpetrated by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as our letters regarding the responsibility of those States whose internationally wrongful acts have contributed to, enabled, and sustained this aggression against Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity, including our latest letter dated 30 April 2026 (S/2026/377), I wish to respond to the letter dated 4 May 2026 from the Permanent Representative of the State of Kuwait to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2026/382); and the letter dated 7 May 2026 2026 from the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2026/391).

1. These letters once again fail to acknowledge the crucial and decisive fact that the United States and the Israeli regime have committed acts of aggression and conducted unprovoked and unlawful attacks against Iran while attempting to distort the factual and legal context by attributing responsibility to the Islamic Republic of Iran, the very State that has been the target of this aggression. The unlawful use of force and attacks by the United States and Israeli regime against Iran, with the complicity, aid, and assistance of the States on the southern shores of the Persian Gulf, constitute egregious and widespread violations of jus ad bellum and jus in bello.

2. The alleged exercise of self-defense by the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Bahrain, other States on the southern shores of the Persian Gulf, as well as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is not a valid and lawful self-defense as set forth in Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. Rather, it is a manifest act of aggression in violation of the General Assembly resolution 3314 (XXIX) of 14 December 1974. The internationally wrongful acts of the aforementioned States qualify as an act of aggression under Article 3(f) of resolution 3314 (XXIX). As such, they could not legally or factually claim that their countries are simply not involved in the armed conflict. On the contrary, it is the inherent right of the Islamic Republic of Iran as a victim of this war of aggression to lawfully exercise self-defense under international law. In the current situation, any unsubstantiated claims and unverified assertions by the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and other States on the southern shores of the Persian Gulf, as well as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, regarding their alleged firm commitment to international law are without merit and effect.

3. Furthermore, recent public statements by senior officials of the United States, including the Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), openly acknowledged that several States on the southern shores of the Persian Gulf operated "literally side by side with the United States" during the war of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Public reports further indicate that such cooperation included the provision of military bases and facilities, logistical and operational support, intelligence- sharing, air defense coordination, airspace access, and participation in military activities directed against Iranian territory and interests. According to these public statements and media reports, the United States specifically identified Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait as States actively cooperating with U.S. military actions during the aggression against Iran. The President of the United States likewise repeatedly commended "Middle East allies" for their partnership, cooperation, and coordination throughout the course of the military acts of aggression against Iran.

4. Pursuant to Article 2(4) of the Charter of the United Nations, all Member States are under a clear obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State. This obligation equally prohibits States from aiding, assisting, facilitating, supporting, or enabling acts of aggression or other unlawful uses of force carried out by another State. Under customary international law, as codified in Article 16 of the Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts, a State that knowingly aids or assists another State in the commission of an internationally wrongful act incurs international responsibility where such assistance is provided with knowledge of the circumstances of the wrongful act. In this regard, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, by providing military bases and facilities, operational and logistical support, intelligence cooperation, airspace access, and other forms of direct or indirect assistance utilized by the United States in carrying out unlawful military attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran, have engaged in conduct giving rise to international responsibility for internationally wrongful acts.

5. The Islamic Republic of Iran's legal position regarding Security Council resolution 2817 (2026), which has been issued both as an official document of the Security Council (S/2026/202) and of the General Assembly (A/80/680), is compatible with international law and the Charter of the United Nations. While Member States have agreed, in accordance with Article 25 of the Charter of the United Nations, to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council in accordance with the Charter, the Council cannot compel States to comply with decisions adopted in bad faith or with demands that are one- sided, biased, selective, and contrary to the fundamental purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. In this regard, the International Court of Justice has held in its 1971 Advisory Opinion that Member States were required to comply with Council decisions only if they were "in accordance with the Charter". Accordingly, the UN Charter did not authorize the Security Council to disregard the unlawful use of force, acts of aggression, and grave violations of international humanitarian law (jus in bello) by the United States and the Israeli regime, as well as the complicity of States that have either facilitated such wrongful acts against Iran or have directly participated therein, and to require Iran as a victim of aggression inter alia to give up its customary right of self-defense under the jus ad bellum.

6. Despite the failure of the Security Council to hold the States on the southern shores of the Persian Gulf and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan accountable for their internationally wrongful acts against Iran, they are under an obligation as responsible States to make full reparation to the Islamic Republic of Iran, including compensation for all material and moral damage caused by their internationally wrongful acts.

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.