PUTRAJAYA: The recent United States' airstrike that killed Iran’s top general Qassem Soleimani must be condemned as a criminal act against the sovereign states of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Iraq.
Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said this in a statement today, calling on all peace-loving and law-abiding nations to denounce such act of state terrorism perpetrated by the US in carrying out such unilateral targeted killings.
"We urge the United Nations Security Council to condemn such a dastardly act of brutal aggression against sovereign nations and to take steps to protect international peace and justice.
"All nations must be committed to peace and international law," he said.
Reuters reported the US had told the United Nations that the killing of Soleimani last week was in self-defense and vowed to take additional action “as necessary” in the Middle East to protect its personnel and interests.
In response, Iran had retaliated for Soleimani’s death by firing missiles at military facilities housing US troops in Iraq.
In a letter to the UN Security Council, US Ambassador Kelly Craft was quoted saying the US stands “ready to engage without preconditions in serious negotiations with Iran, with the goal of preventing further endangerment of international peace and security or escalation by the Iranian regime.”
The killing of Soleimani in Baghdad was justified under Article 51 of the UN Charter, wrote Craft in the letter seen by Reuters, adding “the United States is prepared to take additional action in the region as necessary to continue to protect US personnel and interests.”
Under Article 51, countries are required to “immediately report” to the 15-member Security Council any measures taken in exercising the right of self-defense. The US used Article 51 to justify taking action in Syria against Islamic State militants in 2014.
Craft said Soleimani’s death and US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria on Dec 29 against an Iran-backed militia group were “in response to an escalating series of armed attacks in recent months by the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iran-supported militias on US forces and interests in the Middle East.”
She said the aim was to deter Iran from conducting or supporting attacks and degrade its ability to conduct attacks.
Iran also justified its action under Article 51 of the UN Charter in a letter to the UN Security Council on Wednesday.
Reuters added the US letter to the UN Security Council arrived after Iran’s letter by quoting diplomats.