TEHRAN — Iran's ambassador to the United Nations on Thursday rejected American accusations against his country as "baseless" and "disinformation," insisting that Tehran's military responses to U.S. strikes were lawful exercises of self-defense under the U.N. Charter.

Speaking at an emergency Security Council session convened after recent exchanges of fire between Iranian and U.S. forces, Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani placed the blame for the escalating crisis squarely on Washington and its allies.

"Once again, the representative of the United States has resorted to lies and disinformation against Iran in a desperate attempt to justify the U.S.'s unlawful acts of aggression," Iravani told the Council.

The Iranian envoy described two separate U.S.-led military campaigns against Iran—one in June 2025 and another between February and April 2026—as "unjustified and unwarranted wars of aggression" that violated international law. He said more than 4,800 civilians, including women and children, were killed in the attacks, with the deaths of schoolgirls in Minab standing as a particularly "horrific" example.

"The Security Council's failure to discharge its responsibilities has reinforced impunity and emboldened further unlawful acts," Iravani said. "The United States and the Israeli regime bear full responsibility for all the consequences of these wars of aggression and must be held fully accountable."

Iravani also accused the United States of violating the April ceasefire and the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, a diplomatic agreement signed on June 17 and brokered by Pakistan and Qatar. He pointed to U.S. airstrikes on June 27 as a "material breach" of the accord.

"The MoU clearly requires the United States to negotiate in good faith and, in particular, to refrain from any threat or use of force against Iran," he said. "Yet, by launching another act of aggression and relying on a unilateral and legally unfounded interpretation of the MoU, the United States committed a material breach of its commitments and seriously undermined the diplomatic process."

Defending Iran's recent military actions, Iravani said they were directed solely at U.S. military facilities and bases from which attacks against Iran were launched. "Should aggression against Iran continue, or should the United States continue to violate the MoU, Iran will continue to exercise this inherent right to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said.

On the Strait of Hormuz, Iravani reiterated Iran's commitment to implementing the MoU's provisions, which place responsibility for demining and managing maritime navigation with Iran. "The implementation of these arrangements is currently underway in accordance with the MoU, and Iran has launched technical dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman," he said. He warned that "any external interference or attempt to establish parallel arrangements would violate the MoU, undermine its implementation, delay the restoration of normal commercial navigation, put at risk safe maritime navigation and increase regional tensions."

He also pushed back against the U.S. role in regional security, noting that "the U.S. has no coastal border in our region. It is not their waters. It is not their neighborhood." Security in the Persian Gulf, he said, is "the exclusive joint responsibility of the neighboring countries."

In a response to Bahrain's representative, Iravani said that regional states facilitating U.S. military operations bore clear responsibility. "There is no doubt that certain regional countries, including Bahrain, facilitated this aggression by allowing their territory and airspace to be used by aggressors," he said. He added that "the presence of American bases and forces in their countries not only does not bring security to their countries but also makes those countries vulnerable."

Addressing the American representative directly, Iravani noted domestic opposition to U.S. policy, stating that "70% of Americans and taxpayers oppose your administration's war policy toward Iran. They believe that America's interests have been sacrificed for Israeli interests."

He concluded by urging the Security Council to support the diplomatic process rather than inflame tensions. "The priority must be the full implementation of the MoU and the continuation of negotiations towards a comprehensive deal," Iravani said. "The Security Council should support this process, encourage full compliance with the MoU, and refrain from provocative actions that could undermine diplomacy or further escalate tensions."