Sa’eed Iravani made the remark in a statement to reporters on Monday.

What follows is the transcript of his remarks.

Good afternoon.

I wish to make a brief statement on the ongoing terrorist and criminal aggression by the Israeli regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Israel has committed blatant acts of aggression against the sovereign and territorial integrity of Iran. Its relentless campaign of atrocities against our people continues unabated. This is a serious violation of the United Nations Charter and fundamental principles of international law. This attack crossed all red lines.

Most alarmingly, Israel deliberately targeted a peaceful nuclear facility operating under full IAEA safeguards.  This is a dangerous and illegal act.  It posed a serious risk of releasing radioactive material.

If Iran had not immediately contained the situation, the consequences could have been catastrophic. Israel’s claim of “surgical” strikes is false and misleading. In contrast, it has launched a campaign of unlawful and indiscriminate attacks targeting civilian infrastructure in Iran. Civilians were killed. Homes, hospitals, and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed. These are facts. Not claims.

The Israeli regime deliberately struck densely populated civilian areas in multiple large Iranian cities, where millions live. So far, 1,481 people have been killed or injured. At least 224 civilians, including women and children, have been killed. Many of the victims are children. In one brutal attack on a residential building in Tehran, around 20 children were martyred. Due to the severity of injuries, this number may rise.

Israel also targeted vital civilian and economic infrastructure. Water storage, fuel depots, and petrochemical facilities—including the Asaluyeh refinery in Bushehr were hit. Hospitals were also struck. These are not accidents. These are war crimes.

Just hours ago, the Israeli regime deliberately targeted the office of Iran’s news agency (IRIB) during a live broadcast. This appalling attack constitutes a blatant war crime and a direct assault on press freedom. The Israeli regime has once again demonstrated that it is the foremost enemy of truth.  It holds the disgraceful record of being the world's leading perpetrator of violence against journalists and media professionals.

In response to these barbaric attacks and aggression, Iran exercised its inherent right to self-defense, in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Our response was defensive, targeted, and proportionate. It's solely aimed at deterring and preventing the recurrence of such crimes. Iran will resolutely defend its security and territorial integrity.

We focused only on military and economic assets involved in the aggression. Iran does not seek war or escalation. But we will not hesitate to defend our people, our territory, and our sovereignty. Unlike the Israeli regime, Iran respects international humanitarian law. We did not target civilians.

The U.S. forces supported Israeli aggression. Without U.S. weapons, intelligence, and political backing, this attack could not have happened. The United States will share responsibility for this unlawful act.

This aggression came just as the sixth round of nuclear negotiations was about to resume in Muscat yesterday. Iran came to the table in good faith, with a new proposal aimed at bridging differences. The U.S., however, responded in bad faith. This hypocrisy undermines trust and diplomacy.

Israel tries to sabotage diplomacy through force. This is a pattern: derail talks, escalate conflict, and distract from its ongoing crimes, especially the genocide in Gaza.

Let me be clear: Iran has not attacked Israel; Iran has not started any war.

The so-called “existential threat” narrative is false. It has no legal basis. It is used only to justify aggression and hide Israel’s war crimes.

Iran warns that any country assisting Israel’s aggression will share legal responsibility for the consequences.

Last Friday, Iran called for an urgent Security Council meeting.

Our request is simple: The Council must act now; condemn this aggression; stop the aggressor; defend the Charter and international law.

But the Council has failed to act. Its silence and indifference undermine its credibility and the foundations of the United Nations.

We thank those members of the Security Council who stood on the right side of history. We also thank our regional partners and the members of the OIC and the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter for their principled stance and their joint statements in condemning this aggression and supporting Iran’s right to self-defense.

Iran will continue to exercise its right to self-defense until Israeli aggression stops, or the international community, especially the Security Council, takes meaningful action.

Today, we have sent another letter addressed to the Secretary-General and the Council, repeating our urgent request. We call on the Security Council to:

Condemn this act of aggression;

Hold the aggressor and their enablers accountable;

Take urgent action to prevent further aggression.

Inaction will only embolden the aggressor and weaken the rule of law. It will damage the credibility of this Council.

Let us not forget: Israel is the only regime in our region with nuclear weapons. It refuses to join the NPT or place its facilities under IAEA safeguards. It has attacked almost all of its neighbors and continues to commit atrocities in Gaza without consequences.

Iran will continue to act within the framework of international law. We will defend ourselves lawfully and proportionately. But it is the primary responsibility of the Council to maintain international peace and security.

The Council must act now to stop the genocidal aggressor from committing further atrocities against our people.

I thank you for your kind attention.