DUBAI, October 26. /TASS/. Iran thinks it necessary to respond to Israel’s attack on its soil, relying on the UN Charter, according to a statement by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran condemns in the strongest terms the Zionist regime’s acts of aggression against a number of military sites in Iran as a blatant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter particularly the principle prohibiting the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of countries," the diplomatic agency said.
It noted that "based on the inherent right of self-defense, as also reflected in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, the Islamic Republic of Iran considers itself entitled and obliged to defend against acts of external aggression."
Tehran "stresses the necessity for immediate and urgent mobilization of the global community to stop the Israeli regime's genocide, war, and aggression against Gaza and Lebanon, and to rein in the regime's warmongering."
"Undoubtedly, the continuation of occupation, illegal actions, and crimes by the Zionist regime in the region, particularly the genocide against the Palestinian people and aggression against Lebanon - perpetuated by comprehensive military and political support from the United States and certain other Western countries - remains the main cause of tension and insecurity in the region," the ministry emphasized.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said earlier that it was conducting surgical strikes on military targets in Iran "in response to months of continuous attacks."
The Iranian military, in turn, said that some of its facilities in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan and Ilam had come under attack but Israel had only managed to cause limited damage, while the country’s air defense systems deflected the main impact.
On the evening of October 1, Iran launched a massive missile attack on Israel as a response for the killings of the key leaders of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Tehran claimed that 90% of the missiles hit their intended targets, while Israel said that Iran only launched about 180 missiles and most of them were intercepted.
The Israeli General Staff vowed to "choose the right moment" to surprise Iran with a counter-attack, while Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that the attacks on Israel will only be expanded.