Iran’s Ambassador to the UN Amir Saeid Iravani has strongly dismissed “unfounded allegations” by the US that proxies operate under Tehran’s directive in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.
“I categorically reject the unsubstantiated references and unequivocally condemn the unfounded allegations made against the Islamic Republic of Iran by the representative of the United States,’” he said Thursday.
Speaking to the Security Council’s meeting on ‘The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question’ on Wednesday, acting US ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea suggested that Palestinians are under the influence of “insidious proxies” of Iran.
Shea accused Tehran of fomenting instability, stating that the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas must surrender, disarm, and leave Gaza forever.
In letters to UN chief Antonio Guterres and rotating president of the UN Security Council Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett on Thursday, Iravani dismissed the claim “a calculated deflection”, saying it “serves a single, cynical purpose to shield the occupying and illegitimate Israeli regime from accountability for its ongoing and egregious violations of international law”.
“At a time when the Security Council must act with unity and urgency to end the unparalleled suffering of the Palestinian people, enduring relentless bombardment, forced displacement, famine, and the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure, it is regrettable and shameful that the United States has once again chosen to obstruct the Council from fulfilling its mandate and to divert attention through politically motivated accusations against others.”
Iravani denounced the United States’ vetoing of a UN Security Council draft resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire and full humanitarian access in Gaza.
The move, he said, represents a blatant dereliction and abuse of the responsibilities entrusted to the Security Council under the UN Charter.
“This is not an isolated incident, but rather a continuation of a deeply troubling pattern we have witnessed throughout the past 19 months of Israel’s genocidal war against the people of Gaza,” Iravani said.
“By once again shielding the occupying regime from accountability, the United States has actively enabled the continuation of a catastrophic military campaign that has already killed tens of thousands of civilians, most of them women and children, and driven Gaza to the edge of absolute collapse.”
Iravani emphasized that Iran’s principled position and support for the Palestinian people and their legitimate struggle and resistance against occupation are fully grounded in the United Nations Charter, international law, and relevant UN resolutions, in particular numerous Security Council resolutions.
“Blaming others for the consequences of Israel’s unlawful and brutal campaign is nothing but a willful distortion designed to absolve the Israeli regime of its crimes,” he added.
Iravani said failure to act decisively in the face of war crimes and the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, not only erodes the UN Security Council’s credibility but also paves the way for further atrocities against Palestinian people.
“The Security Council must uphold its Charter-based responsibilities and take immediate action to end the Israeli regime’s brutal aggression, lift the siege in Gaza, establish an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire, provide humanitarian access in large scale and put an end to the immense suffering of the Palestinian people. Selective approaches, double standards, and political expediency must have no place in the face of mass atrocities,” he added.
