Addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Kyrgyzstan on Friday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said his country reserves the right to retaliate against any acts of aggression, according to Mehr news agency.

“Iran has shown it is not an initiator of any war,” he said, stating that regional security depended on not using double standards.

He stressed that the origin of any act of aggression against Iran amounted to a legitimate target for the Iranian armed forces, underlining that Iran reserved the right to retaliate against any acts of aggression against it.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran, in accordance with international law, reserves its right to take all necessary measures within the framework of legitimate defence and will consider the source of any aggression against the Iranian nation as a legitimate target for defensive actions by its Armed Forces,” he said.