Iran says not responsible for any group's actions in region

The Iranian envoy to the United Nations said the country does not bear responsibility for actions by any individual or group in the region, the official news agency IRNA reported on Tuesday.

Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran's permanent representative to the UN, made the remarks in a letter to the French envoy, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for January. The report said the letter responded to the U.S. envoy's Friday letter, in which "unwarranted" accusations were leveled against Iran.

Iravani noted that the U.S. envoy's letter contained "unwarranted references alleging that militia groups affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran's armed forces are involved in actions against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq and Syria."

He stressed that Iran "categorically rejects these unfounded allegations." As emphasized in Iran's previous letters to the Security Council, he said, "There is no group affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran's armed forces, whether in Iraq, Syria, or elsewhere, that operates directly or indirectly under Iran's control or acts on the country's behalf."

The Iranian envoy thus concluded that "Iran is not responsible for the actions of any individual or group within the region."

In addition, Iravani said the actions taken by the United States in Iraq and Syria were "illegal and in violation of international law and the UN Charter."

U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq have frequently come under attack by resistance groups in the region since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on October 7.

(Cover: File photo of Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran's permanent representative to the UN, addressing the UN General Assembly at UN headquarters, New York, February 23, 2023. /CFP)