US tells UN it was defending itself against Iran in strikes on nuclear facilities

The objective of US strikes on Iran last weekend "was to destroy Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and stop the threat that this rogue regime obtains and uses a nuclear weapon", the United States told the United Nations Security Council in a letter on Friday, seen by Reuters.

"The United States remains committed to pursuing a deal with the Iranian government," wrote acting US ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea.

Washington justified the strikes as collective self-defence under Article 51 of the founding UN Charter, which requires the 15-member Security Council to be immediately informed of any action that states take in self-defence against armed attack.

- Reporting by Reuters