WANA (Dec 11) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned the United States for preventing three staff members of Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York from continuing their work, calling the move a violation of international obligations and an abuse of the U.S. role as UN host country.

 

In a statement, the ministry denounced what it described as intensified restrictions on Iran’s UN mission, urging the UN Secretary-General to intervene more decisively to stop the “erosion of Iran’s legal rights.”

 

The ministry said Washington has imposed wide-ranging limitations on the residence and movement of Iranian diplomats, tightened restrictions on their bank accounts, and even limited routine daily purchases—measures it called “designed to disrupt the normal and lawful duties” of Iran’s diplomats.

 

Calling the U.S. decision to obstruct the work of three Iranian mission staff “the peak of lawlessness and host-country misconduct,” the statement said the action further undermines America’s suitability to host the UN headquarters.

 

Iran said the move was based on “baseless claims and unfounded allegations,” describing it as both a sign of political hostility toward the Iranian nation and a “gross violation” of the UN Charter and Iran’s sovereign rights.

 

The ministry stressed that preventing Iranian diplomats from carrying out their official responsibilities is an illegal act that constitutes a clear breach of U.S. obligations under the UN Headquarters Agreement and gives rise to Washington’s international responsibility.

 

Tehran accused the U.S. of increasingly abusing its host-country position to pressure member states, arguing that such practices violate Article 8 of the Headquarters Agreement, disrupt UN operations, and damage the authority and credibility of the Secretary-General.

 

The statement urged the Secretary-General, as the signatory of the Headquarters Agreement on behalf of UN member states, to intervene to halt the continued violations and defend Iran’s rights.

 

Warning that unchecked violations could normalize host-country misconduct, Iran called on responsible governments to respond firmly to U.S. breaches. The ministry said Iran will continue pursuing its sovereign rights and work to hold the United States accountable for the repeated violations of its obligations under the Headquarters Agreement.