Iran Urges Regional States to Block US-Israeli Region for Attacks

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baghaei, called for urgent action from countries in the region to prevent the US and Israel from using their territory and facilities to carry out military attacks against Iran.

Baghaei called the statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, at an emergency consultative meeting in Riyadh as "unfair, one-sided, and inconsistent with a responsible approach to regional developments."

He said "no party can ignore the clear fact that the root cause of the current crisis in the region is the war imposed by the US and the Israeli regime."

"Both countries are using bases and military facilities in regional countries to plan, carry out, and support their aggressive actions against Iran," Baghaei said.

Baghaei stressed "Iran's inherent right to defend itself against US and Israeli military aggression," noting that under international law and the UN Charter, "no country is allowed to allow its territory or facilities to be used by third parties to commit military aggression against other countries."

Referring to "credible evidence" of the continued use of regional bases for attacks, he said countries hosting US military facilities bore international responsibility.

Baghaei warned "those who assist or participate in the US and Israeli military aggression against Iran will be considered accomplices to the crimes committed."

He also reiterated Iran's commitment to international law and the principles of "good neighborliness and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Baghaei expressed hope that regional countries would act "rationally and responsibly" to prevent the use of their territory and avoid further regional divisions.

Escalation in the region has continued to flare since the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28, which has killed around 1,300 people to date, including Iran's then-supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf states hosting US military assets, causing casualties and infrastructure damage as well as disrupting global markets and flights.