UPDATE 1-At U.N., U.S. justifies killing Iranian commander as self-defense

(Adds Iran letter, further detail)
By Michelle Nichols
UNITED NATIONS, Jan 8 (Reuters) - The United States told the
United Nations on Wednesday that the killing of Iranian
commander Qassem Soleimani last week was self-defense and vowed
to take additional action "as necessary" in the Middle East to
protect U.S. personnel and interests.
Iran retaliated on Wednesday for Soleimani's death by firing
missiles at military facilities housing U.S. troops in
Iraq. U.S. President Donald Trump said no Americans were hurt,
soothing fears that Soleimani's death and the Iranian response
could spark a wider conflict in the Middle East. In a letter to the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Ambassador
Kelly Craft said the United States also stands "ready to engage
without preconditions in serious negotiations with Iran, with
the goal of preventing further endangerment of international
peace and security or escalation by the Iranian regime."
The killing of Soleimani in Baghdad on Friday was justified
under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, wrote Craft in the letter
seen by Reuters, adding "the United States is prepared to take
additional actions in the region as necessary to continue to
protect U.S. personnel and interests."
Under Article 51, countries are required to "immediately
report" to the 15-member Security Council any measures taken in
exercising the right of self-defense. The United States used
Article 51 to justify taking action in Syria against Islamic
State militants in 2014.
Craft said Soleimani's death and U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and
Syria on Dec. 29 against an Iran-backed militia group were "in
response to an escalating series of armed attacks in recent
months by the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iran-supported
militias on U.S. forces and interests in the Middle East."
She said the aim was to deter Iran from conducting or
supporting attacks and degrade its ability to conduct attacks.
Iran also justified its action under Article 51 of the U.N.
Charter in a letter to the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday.
The U.S. letter to the U.N. Security Council arrived after
Iran's letter, diplomats said.
Iran's U.N. Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi wrote that
Tehran "does not seek escalation or war" after exercising its
right to self-defense by taking a "measured and proportionate
military response targeting an American air base in Iraq."
"The operation was precise and targeted military objectives
thus leaving no collateral damage to civilians and civilian
assets in the area," Ravanchi wrote.
"Seriously warning about any further military adventurism
against it, Iran declares that it is determined to continue to,
vigorously and in accordance with applicable international law,
defend its people, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity
against any aggression," he said.
Iran had full respect for the sovereignty of Iraq, he added.