In a one-on-one interview with Euronews, Ali Bahreini, Iran’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, denied that his country has targeted civilian locations in the Gulf despite evidence to the contrary, instead blaming the United States and Israel, and asserting that Tehran confines its strikes to military objectives.

According to Iran’s envoy to the UN office in Geneva, Tehran has refrained from hitting civilian facilities in the Gulf amid rising military tensions in the Middle East.

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During the exclusive discussion, Ali Bahreini accused the US and Israel of launching attacks on Iranian civilian targets but dismissed allegations that Tehran had assaulted civilian sites throughout the Gulf, despite evidence indicating Iran’s involvement.

“I reject that accusation,” Bahreini stated to Euronews regarding Iranian strikes on the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.

“Our military directives mandate striking only military installations used by the United States against Iran,” he explained, further noting that Iran “has clearly communicated to our neighbouring states that we are allies, sharing a common bond”.

“However, they must prevent the US from utilizing their territories and facilities to carry out attacks against Iran.”

Local Euronews reporters in Dubai and Doha have documented strikes attributed to Tehran on civilian infrastructure such as airports, residential towers, and hotels.

Bahreini dismissed these reports as “unconfirmed.”

He added that Iran has maintained “communication” with Gulf nations “to clarify our actions and what we have not done.”

“We are willing to disclose operational details and security measures we have executed, and if evidence is presented, we stand ready to authenticate it.”

Additionally, he accused the US and Israel of orchestrating incidents aimed at implicating Tehran.

“There have been numerous occasions when either the United States or Israel has carried out operations within those countries to blame Iran,” he alleged, without providing further proof.

“Our armed forces have issued explicit assurances that civilian areas are not their targets; only military facilities are subject to strikes.”

Simultaneously, Bahreini suggested that the US may be using ostensibly civilian sites in the Gulf for military activities.

“Occasionally, US forces operate from locations that appear civilian but actually function as military centers used against Iran.”

In such scenarios, he continued, these civilian sites become “legitimate targets for Iran.”

Correspondents on the ground in the UAE and Qatar confirmed that civilian locations struck by Iran lack connections to US or Israeli military operations.

During Tehran’s attacks, the Euronews journalist in Dubai sought shelter at the airport.

Faced with this evidence and asked why US and Israel would target civilian sites in the region, Bahreini suggested the intent is to “entangle those countries in conflict.”

Since the war’s onset, all Gulf nations subjected to Iranian attacks have repeatedly “condemned the unprovoked Iranian strikes.”

The ambassador’s statements arrived shortly after Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised to neighboring Gulf states for the attacks.

He also declared that Iran’s military has been ordered that “from now on, they must refrain from attacking neighboring countries or launching missiles there unless attacked first from those territories.”

This declaration preceded the appointment of the new hardline Ayatollah Mojtaba Khameini.

Iranian ambassador to UN does not exclude attacks in Europe

Since the conflict began, tensions have spread beyond the Middle East, evidenced by an Iranian Shahed drone striking a British base in Cyprus and Turkey intercepting two Iranian ballistic missiles that entered NATO airspace.

Bahreini stated that Iranian authorities “have denied reports of any attacks within Turkish territory.”

Yet, similar to the Gulf, he affirmed that Iran will target any bases or facilities “used to attack our country,” even if located in Europe.

“Any site or base employed in aggressions against Iran constitutes a legitimate military target,” he told Euronews, implicitly acknowledging the possibility of strikes in Europe.

“Our armed forces will determine defensive measures based on the threats posed to our nation.”

Currently, tens of thousands of US troops are deployed across Europe at approximately 40 military installations.