TEHRAN- The Israeli regime’s accusations against Iran for launching a satellite in September were refuted by the Iranian ambassador to the UN, who maintained that the unfounded allegations were meant to deflect attention away from the crimes committed by Zionists against Gaza.

In a letter sent on Monday to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN Security Council President Zhang Jun, Saied Iravani stressed that Iran has never done anything that is at odds with Security Council Resolution 2231.

What follows is the full text of the Iranian envoy’s letter:

“I am writing to you regarding the letter dated 21 November 2023 from the representative of the Israeli regime addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2023/895), where it claimed that the launch by Iran's Qased Space Launch Vehicle (SLV) on 27 September 2023 of the Noor-3 satellite into orbit was a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015).

The claim in the letter is completely unfounded as Iran has never taken any activity inconsistent with the Security Council Resolution 2231(2015). Iran has made it clear, time and again, that all its activities related to its missile and space programs are fully in compliance with its legitimate rights under international law. Moreover, Iran has consistently maintained that its missile and space programs fall outside of the purview and competence of Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015) and its annexes.

The Israeli regime’s purpose of furthering such a baseless claim is clear, and it is to divert attention from the urgent issue currently demanding the international community's focus: the heinous atrocity crimes committed by this apartheid regime against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. 

Accusing Iran of destabilizing activities in the region appears to be nothing more than a desperate attempt by the Israeli regime to evade accountability for its war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity that were committed and are being committed in occupied Palestine. We urge the international community and, in particular, the United Nations Security Council to hold the Israeli regime accountable for these atrocities.

I should be grateful if you would circulate the present letter as a document of the Security Council.”

Iravani had earlier in October sent a letter like to this one to the president of the Security Council and the head of the UN after France, Germany, and Britain claimed in a letter to the UN that Iran had violated Security Council resolutions through its space operations, including the launch of the Qased satellite carrier.

“We reiterate, once again, that Iran is determined to continue its activities related to ballistic missiles and space launch vehicles, both of which are within its inherent rights under international law and are necessary for the preservation of its security as well as socioeconomic interests,” he said in that letter.

The envoy went on to add, “We caution against any politically driven approach used by certain developed countries with space programs that seek to demonize the use of space technology for peaceful purposes by developing countries under absurd pretexts such as proliferation concerns.”