Iran urges UN to hold US, Israel accountable for crimes against international peace

In a letter to the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and the Security Council on November 11, 2025, Araghchi urged the UN to take appropriate measures to ensure accountability for both the United States and the Israeli regime, underscoring the need to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice.

He called on the US to provide full reparation for the damages caused, including both material and moral compensation, under established international law.

The full text of the letter is as follows:

Pursuant to my previous letters dated 13 June 2025 (S/2025/379), 22 June 2025 (S/2025/405) and 28 June 2025 (S/2025/429) concerning the brazen acts of aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime from 13 to 24 June 2025 against my country, I am writing to bring to your attention the recent statement by the President of the United States concerning the US’ leading role in the acts of aggression of the Israeli regime and war crimes of its agents against the Islamic republic of Iran.

On 6 November 2025, the President of the United States stated that: “Israel attacked [Iran] first. That attack was very, very powerful. I was very much in charge of that”. Under international law, this constitutes clear evidence of the direction and control of the United States with respect to the said unlawful acts. As informed earlier, the act of aggression by the Israeli regime and the United States was carried out against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and in blatant violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter; it included attacks against civilians and civilian objects in clear disregard for principles of international law and international humanitarian law leading to the martyrdom of more than 1100 innocent people and injury of many others, as well as wanton attacks against civilian infrastructure including Iranian peaceful nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguard in blatant violation of the UN Charter, the final documents of the NPT Review Conferences, IAEA resolutions (e.g. No. 444 and No. 533) and UN Security Council Resolution 487 of 1981. International responsibility for the said violations is therefore attributed not only to the Israeli regime but also to the United States, including for directing and controlling the former.

Based on the foregoing, the United States is under an obligation to make full reparation for the injury caused by the said violations against Iran and its citizens, including any damage, material, and moral. This includes an obligation to make restitution and compensate for the damage caused thereby, under established international law.

In the meantime, the above-said confession also entails individual criminal responsibility of the President of the United States and any other US officials and individuals involved in grave breaches of international humanitarian law including for the crime of aggression, directing deliberate attacks against civilians (including women and children, scientists, university professors, journalists and prisoners among others), targeting senior military officers outside hostilities, launching willful attacks against civilian objects including hospitals and ambulances, Iranian broadcasting center, a prison, and energy infrastructure including peaceful nuclear facilities. 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, including those referred to above.

Accordingly, the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its full and unimpeachable right to pursue, through all available legal means, for establishment of accountability for the responsible States and individuals, and also to secure compensation for the damages sustained.

It is the solemn expectation of the Islamic Republic of Iran that the United Nations Secretary-General and the Security Council take appropriate measures, in line with their responsibility vis-à-vis maintenance of international peace and security, with a view to ensuring accountability of the United States and the Israeli regime for these gross violations, and to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice.

I would be grateful if you would have the present letter circulated as an official document of the Security Council.