TEHRAN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres discussed the ongoing U.S. and Israeli attacks against Iran in a phone call Monday night, the official IRNA news agency reported Tuesday.
Araghchi accused the United States and Israel of military "aggression" against Iran, calling it a "flagrant violation" of the UN Charter and international law. He urged Guterres and the United Nations to "decisively and explicitly" condemn the attacks and hold the "aggressors" accountable.
He said the U.S.-Israeli operations are the main source of "imposed insecurity" in the region and the Strait of Hormuz, and stressed that any discussion of shipping security in the Strait cannot be separated from the broader regional situation.
Araghchi blamed the disruption in shipping on the "imposed" U.S.-Israeli war and called on the international community to condemn their actions "responsibly and without appeasement" and demand an end to the military aggression.
He also denounced Israel's attacks on Lebanon, which he said have killed hundreds, and warned that ignoring Israel's actions in the occupied Palestinian territories and other regional countries risks expanding the scope of its aggression and worsening regional insecurity.
Guterres, according to IRNA, shared his views on the situation in the region and the security of shipping lanes.
U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran entered their 18th day on Tuesday, causing heavy casualties and widespread destruction, according to Iranian authorities. Iran has retaliated with attacks that have effectively halted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and drawn much of the region into the conflict. ■
