World News At U.N., U.S. justifies killing Iranian commander as self-defense

Iran retaliated on Wednesday for Soleimani’s death by firing missiles at military centers real estate U.S. troops in Iraq. U.S. President Donald Trump stated no Americans were harmed, relaxing fears that Soleimani’s death and the Iranian reaction might spark a broader dispute in the Middle East.

In a letter to the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft said the United States also stands “ready to engage without prerequisites in major negotiations with Iran, with the objective of preventing further endangerment of worldwide peace and security or escalation by the Iranian regime.”

The killing of Soleimani in Baghdad on Friday was justified under Post 51 of the U.N. Charter, composed Craft in the letter seen by Reuters, including “the United States is prepared to take extra actions in the area as necessary to continue to protect U.S. personnel and interests.”

Under Short Article 51, nations are required to “immediately report” to the 15- member Security Council any measures taken in working out the right of self-defense. The United States used Article 51 to validate doing something about it in Syria against Islamic State militants in2014

Craft said Soleimani’s death and U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria on Dec. 29 versus an Iran-backed militia group were “in action to an escalating series of armed attacks in current months by the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iran-supported militias on U.S. forces and interests in the Middle East.”

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She said the aim was to hinder Iran from carrying out or supporting attacks and degrade its capability to perform attacks.

Iran likewise justified its action under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter in a letter to the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday. The U.S. letter to the U.N. Security Council got here after Iran’s letter, diplomats stated.

Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi wrote that Tehran “does not seek escalation or war” after exercising its right to self-defense by taking a “measured and proportional military action targeting an American air base in Iraq.”

” The operation was precise and targeted military goals thus leaving no security damage to civilians and civilian assets in the area,” Ravanchi wrote.

” Seriously cautioning about any further military adventurism versus it, Iran declares that it is figured out to continue to, strongly and in accordance with relevant worldwide law, protect its people, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity against any aggression,” he said.

Iran had full regard for the sovereignty of Iraq, he included.

Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Modifying by Kim Coghill and Lincoln Banquet.

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