"International responsibility": Iran warns Saudi, UAE against aiding US strikes; reserves right to "self-defence"

New York [US], April 7 : Tehran has issued a stern warning to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) against permitting the United States to utilise their sovereign territory and airspace for military strikes against the Islamic Republic. According to a report by state broadcaster Press TV, Iran reminded both Gulf nations of their "international responsibility" to ensure they do not facilitate "acts of aggression".

The warning was formalised in two separate letters dispatched on Monday to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the President of the Security Council. Iran's UN Ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, used the correspondence to detail several instances in which US warplanes allegedly operated from or transited through Saudi and Emirati airspace to conduct bombing raids.

Documents cited by Press TV indicate that these military actions took place primarily on March 23, 24 and 28, 2026. In the letter regarding Saudi Arabia, Iravani enumerated over a dozen specific incidents, including operations by US F-16SV fighter jets, as well as F-35 and F-15E jets, which reportedly carried out strikes on Iranian targets.

Similar military activity was documented in a separate letter concerning the UAE. This included a US U-2S reconnaissance aircraft operating within Emirati airspace on March 23. Referencing the "international responsibility of States arising from placing their territory at the disposal of others", Iravani expressed Iran's "strong and unequivocal objection" to these developments.

According to Press TV, the Iranian envoy "strictly calls upon" both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to adhere to the principles of "good neighbourliness" and prevent any further use of their territory for hostile actions against Iran. The Ambassador further noted that while Tehran remains committed to respecting the sovereignty of both nations, it "reserves its inherent right to take all necessary and appropriate measures".

This includes the "exercise of its right of self-defence" to protect its "sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence". These tensions follow the outbreak of conflict on February 28, which involved the killing of the former Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and strikes on nuclear facilities, schools and hospitals.

Reporting on the regional escalation, Press TV noted that Iran's armed forces have responded with over 100 waves of retaliatory strikes under "Operation True Promise 4". This counter-offensive has seen hundreds of ballistic and hypersonic missiles, alongside drone attacks, targeting American and Israeli assets across the region.

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