Iran asks UN to hold US responsible for 12-day war with Israel

The foreign minister cited remarks Trump made on November 6, when the president told reporters he had been “very much in charge” of Israel’s first strike on June 13.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Iran has asked the United Nations to take action against the United States and Israel following the summer strikes on its nuclear facilities following Trump’s statements taking credit for the campaign.

The request was delivered in a letter from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the Security Council.

Araghchi wrote that Washington and Jerusalem should face what he called “appropriate measures,” arguing that the United States shares responsibility for the attacks carried out in June.

His letter reiterated Tehran’s long-standing claim that both countries owe restitution and compensation for damage to Iranian infrastructure. The UN and U.S. missions did not immediately reply to inquiries about the complaint.

The foreign minister cited remarks Trump made on November 6, when the president told reporters he had been “very much in charge” of Israel’s first strike on June 13. 

Tehran has seized on that statement as confirmation of American involvement in what it describes as a 12-day exchange.

“This is indeed without prejudice to individual criminal responsibility of all those individuals, including within the Israeli regime, involved in commanding, ordering, committing, or aiding, abetting, and otherwise assisting in the commission of the war crimes,” Araghchi said.

The appeal to the UN marks a shift in tone from Araghchi’s deputy’s statement earlier in the week that Tehran seeks a diplomatic settlement with the US.

Trump, for his part, has said repeatedly that the United States is willing to negotiate if Iranian leaders decide they want an agreement.

Last month he said that when Tehran is prepared to move forward, “the hand of friendship and cooperation is open.”

The UN has not indicated when or whether it will formally respond to Iran’s complaint.