Iran Foreign Minister’s letter to UN Secretary General on Supreme leader’s assassination

Iran Foreign Minister’s letter to UN Secretary General on Supreme leader’s assassination

Letter from Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council Following the Assassination of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran.

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

I hereby draw your immediate attention to the latest horrific and criminal action carried out by the United States of America and the Israeli regime against the great nation of Iran. Failure to respond decisively to such behavior will not only embolden the perpetrators but also inflict lasting and irreparable damage on the foundations of the international legal order for decades to come.

In a new series of unprovoked and wholly unjustified acts of aggression against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the United States and the Israeli regime deliberately targeted the highest official of an independent United Nations Member State, namely the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, on 28 February 2026.

This cowardly terrorist act, which constitutes a gross violation of Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the United Nations Charter, represents a direct assault on the most fundamental principles of international law, including the prohibition of the use of force, the principle of sovereign equality of States, and the inviolability and immunity of Heads of State.

Such an action establishes a dangerous and unprecedented precedent that undermines the basic norms of state sovereignty and civilized conduct among nations. Heads of State embody the sovereignty of their peoples and, under international law, are inviolable, respected, and immune—principles essential for the independent exercise of their official duties.

Therefore, the deliberate targeting of the highest official of the Islamic Republic of Iran constitutes a blatant and unprecedented violation of the foundational norms governing inter-State relations. This behavior not only breaches established principles of international law but also recklessly generates unforeseen and dangerous consequences, undermining the sovereign equality of States and the stability of the international system.

Moreover, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is not only the highest official of the country but also a religious figure revered by tens of millions of Muslims in the region and around the world. Such an attack carries profound and far-reaching repercussions, for which the perpetrators bear full and exclusive responsibility.

This in no way diminishes the inherent and legitimate right of the Islamic Republic of Iran to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and people in full accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

The aforementioned act was committed in blatant disregard of binding norms of international law and customary international law, including the principles enshrined in the 1973 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Internationally Protected Persons. It gives rise to the international responsibility of the offending States involved, as well as individual criminal responsibility of the President of the United States, the so-called Prime Minister of the Israeli regime, and all individuals who participated in planning, ordering, authorizing, committing, or otherwise aiding and abetting this criminal act.

The above does not preclude accountability and legal action for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression, which continue to be perpetrated by agents of the United States and the Israeli regime.

In view of the foregoing, and at a time when the normalization of gross violations of international law , unfortunately threatens the integrity of the international system, the Islamic Republic of Iran officially and firmly urges the United Nations Secretary-General and the Security Council to discharge their responsibilities under the Charter in preserving international peace and security, and to take immediate, specific, and effective measures to ensure full accountability of the United States and the Israeli regime for this heinous terrorist act.

It would be highly appreciated if this correspondence could be circulated as an official document of the Security Council.

Seyed Abbas Araghchi
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran