Iran on 13 July formally condemned a statement by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on military escalations in the Gulf region, insisting that its strikes on US military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait constitute lawful self-defence under international law rather than aggression. Tehran anchored its position in what it described as an unprovoked US-Israel offensive that began on 28 February and resulted in the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Tehran's Core Argument

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei rejected the UN's framing of the crisis as a bilateral military confrontation. In a post on X, Baqaei stated that the situation is 'the continuation of a blatant and unprovoked act of aggression initiated on 28 February by the United States and Israel' and that Iran's strikes on US military bases in the southern Persian Gulf constitute 'a legitimate and lawful exercise of its inherent right to self-defence under international law.'

Baqaei further accused the US of using the territories of Gulf states as launchpads for strikes against Iran, and called on the UN to pressure those countries to withdraw that access. He said it is 'far from responsible to blame Iran for defending its sovereignty while failing to hold the aggressors accountable for their egregious violation of international law.'

What the UN Said

Secretary-General Guterres expressed deep concern over escalating hostilities, citing what his office described as Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, US strikes on Iran, and Iranian strikes on targets in neighbouring countries. His spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said in a statement that 'these attacks must all stop' and called on all parties to 'exercise maximum restraint, avoid further escalatory action and take immediate steps to de-escalate.' The UN chief urged Iran and the United States to 'urgently resume negotiations and to address outstanding issues through diplomacy.'

The Persian Gulf Terminology Dispute

In a secondary but pointed rebuke, Baqaei called out the UN for its use of geographic terminology. Citing UN directives issued on 18 August 1994 and 14 May 1999 mandating the use of the full term 'Persian Gulf' in all UN texts, the spokesperson urged the world body to remain consistent with its own standing directives. The issue carries significant symbolic weight for Tehran, which has long objected to alternative nomenclature used in parts of the Arab world.

Broader Context and What Comes Next

The exchange marks a sharp deterioration in the diplomatic climate surrounding the Iran-US standoff. The killing of Supreme Leader Khamenei on 28 February — which Tehran attributes to a US-Israel operation — has fundamentally altered the conflict's stakes. Notably, this is the first time Iran has publicly framed its Gulf strikes in explicit self-defence language before the UN, signalling a shift toward internationalising its legal justification. The UN's call for resumed negotiations faces immediate credibility challenges given the depth of mutual accusations now on the record.