16 July 2026
8:27 PM
Foreign PolicyWANA News
WANA (Jul 16) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the recent U.S. attacks on Iranian territory, stating that Tehran’s defensive strikes against U.S. military bases and facilities used in operations against Iran are carried out in accordance with its inherent right to self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. The ministry also urged the southern Persian Gulf states to prevent the United States from using their territory and facilities to launch attacks against Iran.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Foreign Ministry said the United States had intensified its military operations against Iran while simultaneously imposing a naval blockade, which it described as a violation of previous commitments. According to the statement, U.S. forces have targeted civilian infrastructure and committed what Tehran characterized as war crimes.
The ministry cited several recent incidents, including an attack on an Iranian Army barracks in Bampur that reportedly killed seven military personnel and injured several others. It also referred to strikes on a grain storage silo in Hoveyzeh, a bottled water factory in Dehloran’s Musian district, and the maritime control tower in Chabahar, claiming these facilities were civilian targets attacked within the past week.
According to the statement, such attacks constitute serious violations of the UN Charter, <a href="https://absafricatv.com/trump-administration-caps-how-long-international-students-can-stay-in-the-us/” title=”Trump administration caps how long international students can stay in the US”>international law, and international humanitarian law. The Foreign Ministry argued that attacks on civilian infrastructure, along with reported threats against bridges and power plants, amount to grave international crimes under the 1949 Geneva Conventions and stressed that both those who ordered and those who carried out the attacks should be held legally accountable. It further stated that acting under superior orders does not exempt individuals from criminal or moral responsibility for alleged war crimes.
The statement also accused Washington of undermining diplomacy by violating previous understandings reached during negotiations. It claimed that the United States had, for the third time within a year, resorted to military action while diplomatic efforts were underway, alleging that Washington breached a 14-point agreement only 20 days after it had been signed. Tehran said the United States bears full responsibility for the consequences of what it described as this breach of commitments.
Reaffirming Iran’s position, the Foreign Ministry said the country would use all available means to defend its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. It maintained that Iran’s military response against U.S. bases, assets, and facilities used in attacks on Iranian territory falls within the internationally recognized right of self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
The ministry also called on the southern Persian Gulf countries to prevent the United States from using their land, airspace, territorial waters, or military facilities to conduct operations against Iran, warning that continued cooperation could contribute to a broader regional escalation.
Concluding its statement, the Foreign Ministry emphasized that Iran has no hostility toward its neighboring countries and reiterated that lasting regional security can only be achieved through dialogue and cooperation among regional states, without the military presence or intervention of extra-regional powers.
