Iran's UN Representative Protests Trump's Remarks on Nuclear Agreement

Iran has protested to the United Nations regarding what it calls the "brazen and provocative" statements of U.S. President Donald Trump, warning that "any aggressive action will have severe consequences." Amir Saeed Iravani, Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the UN, in a letter to the Secretary-General and the presidency of the Security Council on Tuesday, February 12, criticized Trump's recent comments in an interview with the New York Post and Fox News, where he stated that he would prefer to reach a nuclear agreement with Tehran rather than resort to military action. Iravani wrote in his letter: "These brazen and provocative statements are a clear violation of international law and the UN Charter." He added: "The Islamic Republic of Iran warns that any aggressive action will have severe consequences, for which the United States will bear full responsibility. Iran... will firmly defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interests against any hostile actions." Last week, Trump resumed his "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran by signing an order aimed at reducing Iran's oil exports to zero in order to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons. The U.S. President also expressed hope for reaching an agreement with Iran and meeting with Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran. However, Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, stated on February 8 that negotiating with the U.S. is "not wise, not intelligent, and not honorable." Following this, despite turmoil in Iran's currency market, senior officials of the Islamic Republic supported Khamenei's stance, stating that Trump is seeking to "disarm the Islamic Republic." In a recent statement, Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, said that his American counterpart wants to bring the revolution to its "knees." The Iranian ambassador to the UN has called on the Security Council to condemn Trump's "blatant rhetoric" and his "threat" of "using force." Iran has denied allegations of seeking nuclear weapons. However, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency stated that Iran has significantly accelerated uranium enrichment to 60% purity, which is close to the approximately 90% level needed for nuclear weapons production.