Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Aug 1: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has warned Britain against extending any military cooperation to the United States for strikes on Iran, saying such involvement would be "unacceptable" and could amount to an act of aggression under international law.
During a phone conversation with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, Araghchi said any cooperation with "aggressors", including under the pretext of existing defence agreements, would be unacceptable, according to a statement issued by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Saturday.
He criticised what he described as Britain's "unjustified and inappropriate" policies towards Iran, referring to London's recent designation of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) as a national security threat and its alleged complicity in conflicts involving the United States and Israel against Iran in recent months. He urged Britain to reconsider its approach towards Tehran.
Araghchi said that under international law and the Convention for the Definition of Aggression, allowing a country's territory or military facilities to be used for unlawful attacks on another state constituted an act of aggression and entitled the targeted country to exercise its right to self-defence.
He further claimed that Iran had entered into a diplomatic process with the United States in good faith and signed a memorandum of understanding with Washington in June aimed at ending the conflict, but alleged that the US failed to honour its commitments.
The Iranian minister also highlighted Tehran's efforts to establish operational mechanisms with Oman to manage shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that interference by third parties would only worsen the situation.
Responding to the concerns, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the UK was not involved in the conflict against Iran and maintained that diplomacy remained the only viable means of resolving disputes.
According to the report, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham last month approved the continued use of British military bases by the United States for operations related to Iran, continuing a policy adopted by his predecessor.
The report also said that on February 28, the United States and Israel carried out joint strikes on Tehran and other Iranian cities, following which Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on US and Israeli military assets in the region while tightening control over the Strait of Hormuz.