Iran tells UN strikes on Israel are self-defense

United Nations: Iran's strikes on Israel are self-defense and are "proportionate defensive operations directed exclusively at military objectives and associated infrastructure," Iran's UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the UN Security Council on Monday.

He wrote in a letter that any cooperation by third countries with Israel's strikes on Iran "makes them complicit in the legal responsibility and consequences of this crisis."

Speaking to reporters later on Monday, Iravani singled out the United States.

"Without the US weapons, intelligence and political backing, this attack could not have happened. The United States will share responsibility for this unlawful act," he said. "Let me be clear, Iran has not attacked Israel. Iran has not started any war. The so-called existential threat narrative is false."

Israel launched its air war on Friday with a surprise attack that killed nearly the entire top echelon of Iran's military commanders and its leading nuclear scientists. It has said its aim is to destroy Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Iran has since retaliated against Israel.

"In the past 48 hours, Iran has launched over 1000 missiles and drones directly at Israeli civilians," Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon said on Monday. "Iran aims its missiles at children, while we target the regime's terror machine."

Iravani told the Security Council in his letter that Iran was acting under Article 51 of the UN Charter, which requires the 15-member Security Council to be immediately informed of any action states take in self-defense against armed attack.

The Security Council met on Friday, at the request of Tehran, over Israel's initial attacks on Iran.

Danon said that Israel has "pushed back the nuclear program in the last few days, we will continue with our efforts to push back the program." He added: "It is much more challenging operation, and it takes time."