Qatar described the Iranian attacks as a ‘flagrant violation’ of its sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.
Qatar has called on the United Nations to hold Iran legally responsible for a series of attacks on its territory and a Qatari tanker, saying Tehran must compensate the Gulf state for all resulting damage.
In identical letters to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and the president of the Security Council, Qatar accused Iran of carrying out three attacks this month, including two missile strikes against the country and an attack on a tanker near the Strait of Hormuz, according to a July 20 statement from the Qatari foreign ministry.
The letters said Iran bore “full legal responsibility” for the attacks and their consequences, obligating Tehran to provide compensation for all damage suffered by Qatar.
Qatar also reserved the right to respond under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, which recognizes the right of countries to act in self-defense.
The letters were submitted by Qatar’s permanent representative to the United Nations and addressed to Guterres and Zenon Mukongo-Ngai, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s U.N. representative and Security Council president for July.
Qatar described the Iranian attacks as a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, as well as an unacceptable escalation threatening regional stability.
It said the strikes violated international law, the Geneva Conventions, and Security Council Resolution 2817, which condemned Iranian attacks against Qatar and other countries in the region and demanded an immediate end to them.
The letters did not specify the amount of compensation Qatar would seek or describe the extent of the physical damage caused by the attacks.
Qatar said that the letters highlighted its right to respond to hostile actions from Iran, adding that it “will not hesitate to take all necessary measures” to protect its sovereignty and the safety of its citizens and residents.
The diplomatic action comes as Iranian attacks across the Gulf have widened amid a renewed military confrontation between Tehran and Washington.
The United States and Iran are back to daily strikes as they vie for control over the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran refusing to loosen its grip over the key shipping corridor in the Persian Gulf.
The renewed fighting has spread to Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain, while Iranian forces have continued to menace commercial ships trying to circumnavigate the Iran-controlled northern route through Hormuz.
Jordan said on July 21 that it intercepted five drones arriving from Iran, while Tehran claimed to have targeted U.S. military assets in the country.
By Tom Ozimek
