Iran Calls on UN to Demand End of US Threats

Iran complained to the United Nations on Tuesday over the United States’ threat of military attack, calling for international action against American wrongful policies. 
“It is incumbent upon the United Nations Security Council to demand that the United States put an end to its threats and unfettered policies, and hold that country accountable for its wrongful acts,” Iran’s UN Envoy Majid Takht-Ravanchi said in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN Security Council President Abdou Abarry. 
US President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened in a tweet that any assault by Iran against American diplomats would be met with a response “1,000 times greater in magnitude”.
He made the statement after a report published by the American journal Politico alleged that Iran is planning to avenge the US assassination of Major General Qasem Soleimani by killing the American ambassador to South Africa. 
“Such a provocative statement constitutes a gross violation of the very fundamental principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, particularly its Article 2(4) that clearly prohibits the threat or use of force,” Takht-Ravanchi wrote in his letter.
He added that this is not the first time the US is threatening to use force against Iran as it has made similar remarks on five different occasions over the course of a few days following the assassination of Major General Soleimani on January 3.
Soleimani was the head of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and a leading figure in the fight against the self-styled Islamic State terrorists in the region. He was killed in a US airstrike in Baghdad, along with Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. 
Iran later retaliated by launching missiles at US locations in Iraq, causing brain injuries to more than 100 American troops, but says it is pursuing the criminal act through international judicial institutions.  
“We seriously warn about any further military adventurism against Iran by the United States which must bear the full responsibility for all consequences,” he said. 

Irresponsible Policies

Takht-Ravanchi also blamed Washington for posing a threat to international peace and security through its “irresponsible policies and unlawful practices”.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to exercise its inherent right to self-defense to protect its people, defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and secure its national interests against any aggression,” he said, asking that the letter be circulated as a UNSC document. 
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also took to Twitter to react to Trump’s hostile remarks, criticizing him for being manipulated by members of his administration. 
“The habitual liar bamboozled @realdonaldtrump into assassinating ISIS' enemy #1 by raising a false alarm. Now he's trying to sucker him into mother of all quagmires by leaking a new false alarm,” he said, referring to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. 
He also highlighted the fact that Trump is citing a press report that has referred to unnamed US officials as the source of its intelligence.
“Time to wake up,” he said, attaching excerpts pointing to Pompeo’s scandals.