Iran urges UN action against "US aggression"

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York on the final day of his trip for the UN General Assembly's 81st session. 

According to a readout published by Iranian state media, Araghchi briefed Guterres on the latest developments in West Asia following the “military aggression” by the United States and the Israeli regime against the country.

He said that as a founding UN member, Iran expects the organization and its member states not to remain indifferent to “flagrant violations of the UN Charter” by a permanent Security Council member, and to explicitly condemn continued US “interference and illegal threats.”

Citing two rounds of “illegal US and Israeli attacks” on Iran within less than a year, occurring amid negotiations, along with an ongoing naval blockade and economic pressure, Araghchi stressed Iran's determination to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity with full capability.

He said Iran would continue to pursue “accountability and justice for those responsible for war crimes by the US and the Zionist regime.”

Araghchi said Iran has consistently favored diplomacy to safeguard its national interests and regional peace, but said the United States repeatedly abandoned diplomatic commitments over the past decade, contributing to regional instability.

“He also raised continued violence and mass killing by the Israeli regime in Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Syria and elsewhere in the region, urging the UN and Security Council to act to end Israeli impunity and stop the ongoing atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank,” the Mehr news agency reported.

Guterres, for his part, condemned violations of core principles of the UN Charter, particularly the use of force by major powers, and stressed the need for all countries to abide by international law and resolve disputes through diplomacy.

The meeting also addressed “continued US violations” of the UN Headquarters Agreement and obstruction of the normal functioning of Iran's mission. Araghchi conveyed Iran's formal protest over the host government's conduct and asked Guterres to take necessary measures to ensure US compliance with its obligations.