Iran Excluded From UNSC Meeting On Downing Of US Drone - Ambassador Ravanchi

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th June, 2019) Iran has been denied the right to participate in a closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the Revolutionary Guard's recent downing of a US Navy drone, Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi said on Monday.

The United States requested the closed consultations to discuss Iran's downing of US drone and the attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

"As the country whose airspace has been violated by two US spy drones, Iran was entitled to participate in the Council's meeting today; this is our right under the UN Charter. We expressed our readiness and requested to participate in that meeting; however, unfortunately, we were denied of exercising this right," Ravanchi said at the UN as the Security Council meeting was underway.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard said last week it downed a US surveillance drone flying over the coastal Hormozgan province after it violated the country's airspace. US Central Command said that the drone was shot down while operating over international waters of the Strait of Hormuz.

Ravanchi said that by not allowing Iran to attend the meeting, the United States exploited the UN body to advance its own interests.

"Today, the Council is being briefed unilaterally by the United States, who is abusing its position as the Council's permanent member to misguide this body in order to advance its anti-Iran policy," the ambassador said.

Ravanchi said his government possesses "irrefutable" evidence with detailed technical information demonstrating that the US drone was flying over Iran's territory, adding that the Islamic Republic was ready to display the evidence for members of the Security Council.

"Iran's action was in full conformity with international law, Iran acted in self-defense, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter," he added.

Following the downing of the US drone, President Donald Trump said the United States was "cocked and loaded" for retaliatory strikes on Iran but added that he called off planned attacks because they would have been "disproportionate."

Instead, the United States on Monday imposed sanctions on Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and eight senior commanders of Iran's Navy, Aerospace, and Ground Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Tensions between the United States and Iran have been rising since Washington pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers last year.