Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Defensive Operations of the Armed Forces against the Zionist Regime   The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in accordance with the inherent right of self-defense as stipulated in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, and in response to the aggressive actions of the Zionist regime, including the violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the martyrdom of the head of the political office of the Hamas movement in Tehran, who was an official guest of the Iranian government, as well as the martyrdom of the Secretary-General of Hezbollah in Lebanon and General Nilforushan, our senior military advisor in Beirut, carried out a series of missile attacks against the military and security targets of this regime on the evening of Tuesday, October 1, 2024.   The resort of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the right of self-defense, after a long period of restraint, demonstrates Iran's responsible approach to regional and international peace and security at a time when the illegal actions and genocide by the occupying apartheid Zionist regime against the Palestinian people and the repeated military aggressions of this regime against Lebanon and Syria continue.   Unlike the Zionist regime, which has always considered innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure as legitimate targets for aggression and massacre, the Islamic Republic of Iran, based on ethical principles and high Islamic teachings and in full compliance with the principle of distinction according to international humanitarian law, has targeted only the military and security objectives of the regime in its defensive missile attack.   The Islamic Republic of Iran, emphasizing the responsibility of the supporters and financial and military suppliers of the occupying regime to stop the insane actions of the leaders of the Zionist regime, and warning against any involvement of third parties, calls for immediate and meaningful action by the United Nations Security Council to prevent the continuation of threats against regional and international peace and security by the Israeli regime.   The Islamic Republic of Iran, if necessary, is fully prepared to take further defensive measures to protect its legitimate interests and defend the territorial and sovereign integrity of Iran against any aggressive military action and illegal use of force, and will not hesitate in this regard.