Iran and US trade accusations of aggression, Iran warns of “decisive response” to any new attack

Tehran/Washington: Iran on Friday accused the United States of waging an illegal war of aggression and warned of an immediate and decisive response to any new US or Israeli attack. Iran’s deputy UN ambassador, Gholamhossein Darzi, made the remarks at a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East.
Darzi accused Western countries of distorting facts and ignoring the root causes of tensions, saying their statements reflect “double standards and open hypocrisy.” Responding to the US envoy, he said the US is the aggressor, not the victim. He accused Washington of launching an unjustified war in violation of the UN Charter, violating Iran’s sovereignty, bombing civilian infrastructure, threatening the Iranian people with destruction and imposing a military and naval blockade. He said no Security Council resolution can strip a member state of its right to self-defense, that Iran has never closed the doors of diplomacy, but that any new attack would be answered by turning the response toward the source of aggression, wherever it may be.
At a separate Security Council session on maritime security in the Gulf, US envoy Jennifer Locetta accused Iran of attacking neighboring countries, firing on commercial vessels, backing armed groups and violating Council decisions. She said Iran is deliberately harming freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandab and the Red Sea. She also accused Yemen’s Houthis of escalating attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Israeli media reported that caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed possible strikes on Iran with Gadi Eisenkot, who has been invited to form the next government. According to Channel 12, Netanyahu met him on Thursday and wanted to share Iran-related intelligence. Eisenkot reportedly did not know that Mossad chief Roman Gofman was visiting Washington. Haaretz said Gofman met CIA Director John Ratcliffe and was expected to meet US envoy Steve Witkoff to seek US backing for new strikes. KAN reported that Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir supports an operation in principle but believes the timing is wrong. A security source said there is no immediate threat from Iran and ruled out war resuming in the coming weeks.
The Washington Post, citing a US official, reported that Trump does not want to return to war for now. As the conflict enters its eighth month, the administration has adopted a policy of “no new war, no negotiations and no lasting peace.” Trump said, “We’re just maintaining the status quo.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said economic pressure is working so well that major combat operations are unnecessary, and called Iran’s demands “ridiculous.”