Iranian UN envoy says NATO chief's remarks confirm Europe's role in strikes on Iran

Iran's Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Gholamhossein Darzi, said recent remarks by NATO's chief acknowledging that aircraft took off from European territory in connection with strikes against Iran confirm what he described as Europe's "indispensable role" in the conflict, according to Iran's state news agency IRNA.

Darzi's comments followed statements attributed to the NATO secretary-general regarding the use of European airspace or bases in connection with military action against Iran, though the original remarks and their full context were not independently detailed in the report.

Iran's characterization disputed elsewhere

Iranian officials have repeatedly described military action taken against the country as acts of aggression and, in some statements, as war crimes, characterizations that are not independently verified and are disputed by other parties to the underlying conflict.

The exchange reflects the broader diplomatic fallout from military confrontations involving Iran, the United States, and Israel earlier in the year, with Tehran continuing to press its case at the United Nations regarding what it views as the responsibility of European states that permitted their territory or airspace to be used.

Neither NATO nor European governments had issued a direct public response, as reported by IRNA, to Ambassador Darzi's specific characterization of the alliance's role.

The dispute underscores continuing tensions between Iran and Western governments over accountability for military operations conducted against Iranian territory, an issue Tehran has raised repeatedly in international forums including the UN Security Council.