Upon instructions from my Government, I would like to bring to your attention the following:

Pursuant to a reported launch of a missile on 4 November 2017 from Yemen to Riyadh, the authorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including its Crown Prince and Minister for Foreign Affairs, accused the Islamic Republic of Iran of supplying missiles to Yemen for the purpose of attacking Saudi Arabia. Based on this unfounded assumption, they maintained that such measures are a “direct military aggression” and an “act of war” by Iran and threatened to respond accordingly.

The Islamic Republic of Iran categorically rejects such baseless and unfounded accusations and considers them destructive, provocative and a “threat to use of force” against a United Nations Member State in clear defiance of Article 2 (4) of the Charter of the United Nations.

Such provocative statements by the Saudis are nothing but an attempt to shift the blame and to distract attention from its war of aggression against Yemen. However, this cannot exonerate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from its international responsibility for committing war crimes and violating international humanitarian law, including by further blocking humanitarian access to an already famine-stricken Yemen. The alarming situation in Yemen will face more deterioration as a result of the recent decision made by the Saudi-led coalition to “close all Yemeni air, sea and land ports”, which tightens the inhumane blockade over Yemen, particularly in the face of an unprecedented outbreak and spread of cholera and famine in that country. The worsening humanitarian situation in Yemen has been rightly described very recently by high-ranking United Nations officials as “the world’s worst hunger crisis and cholera outbreak” for which Saudi Arabia and its enablers must be held accountable.

After more than two and a half years of blind attacks and murdering innocent Yemeni people, the Saudis and their allies should have realized by now that there is no military solution for Yemen. Iran continues to express its long-standing position that the only solution to the crisis in Yemen is through an all-inclusive Yemeni-Yemeni led political settlement.

The Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates that its foreign policy has always been based on establishing friendly relations with all of its neighbours in the Persian Gulf and strengthening peace, security and prosperity in the region. Iran calls for self-restraint and wisdom instead of provocation and threats that may bring further instability to this already volatile region.

Saudi Arabia should be urged to respect international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and refrain from threat or use of force against other States.

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

Gholamali Khoshroo