WANA (Feb 13) – At a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East, including Syria, Dorothy Shea, Deputy U.S. Representative to the United Nations, accused Tehran of undermining Syria’s stability and security. In response, Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, firmly rejected the accusations, calling them “baseless” and designed to distort facts and mislead the international community.

 

U.S. Criticism of Iran’s Role in Syria

During the Wednesday session, Shea stated that Washington believes Security Council members must continue advocating for broad representation of Syrian groups in the country’s future. Without mentioning the U.S. role in Syria’s instability, she emphasized that Secretary of State Mark Rubio has stressed the need to prevent Syria from becoming a safe haven for terrorism.

 

“We want a Syria that denies foreign malign actors the opportunity to exploit it,” Shea added.

 

She went on to claim that Bashar al-Assad’s government has allowed Iran and its affiliated groups, including Hezbollah, to use Syrian territory for regional threats and arms transportation for years.

 

Expressing concern over reports of newly formed groups fueling violence in Syria, Shea alleged that some are attempting to drag Israel into direct conflict. “According to reports, these groups continue to receive financial and logistical support from Iran, even after its alleged withdrawal from Syria,” she said.

 

Shea further claimed that “warning signs of Iran’s malevolent influence and efforts to reestablish its presence in Syria are clear,” and called for collective international pressure on Tehran to stop destabilizing Syria.

 

Iran Rejects U.S. Allegations

In response, Amir Saeid Iravani categorically rejected the U.S. claims, stating: “The Islamic Republic of Iran firmly and unconditionally rejects these baseless allegations. They are nothing more than a deliberate attempt to distort reality and mislead the international community.”

 

Iravani added that such accusations are neither new nor unexpected, calling them a “Washington script” repeated in every Security Council meeting to unjustly target Tehran. “The facts speak for themselves,” he asserted.

 

The Iranian envoy further accused the U.S. of repeatedly violating Syria’s sovereignty under the pretext of counterterrorism while advancing its geopolitical ambitions by supporting terrorist groups and backing Israel’s occupation policies.

 

Iran, he reaffirmed, remains committed to playing a constructive role in coordination with the United Nations, regional partners, and the Syrian government to achieve lasting peace and stability in Syria and the broader region.

 

“We fully support the efforts of UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen and stress that the United Nations must maintain its central role in this process,” Iravani concluded.