WANA (Jun 20) – The High Council for Human Rights of the Islamic Republic of Iran has strongly condemned recent statements by the US Treasury Secretary suggesting that blocked Iranian assets could be used to compensate for alleged damages suffered by Washington’s regional allies.

 

In an official statement, the state-run rights body characterized the remarks as a blatant violation of the fundamental principles of international law, the rules governing interstate relations, and established human rights standards.

 

The council declared that such stances—which extend the United States’ long-standing policies of unilateralism and unlawful coercive measures against the Iranian people—directly breach the principle of sovereign equality of states and the immunity of state property under international law. It added that the comments serve as an obvious sign of Washington’s disregard for its international obligations and the global legal order.

 

Key Highlights of the Official Statement:

Violation of Sovereign Immunity: According to established international law, including the judicial and executive immunity of states and their properties, no government is permitted to unilaterally confiscate, seize, transfer, or reallocate the assets of another sovereign state.

 

Economic Warfare Impacting Human Rights: The council emphasized that asset seizures, especially when combined with unilateral sanctions, directly undermine the Iranian public’s fundamental rights, including the rights to development, health, and socio-economic welfare.

 

UN Warnings Invoked: The body recalled that United Nations special rapporteurs and various human rights mechanisms have repeatedly warned against the destructive impacts of extraterritorial economic restrictions on nations.

 

Legal Recourse Reserved: Tehran flatly rejected any potential attempts to appropriate or transfer its national assets, stating it holds the US government fully responsible for the legal ramifications and reserves the right to pursue the matter through international legal bodies.

 

Call for Global Accountability

The statement concluded by urging the international community, relevant United Nations bodies, and advocates for the rule of law to take a responsible stand against the rising trend of unilateral and extraterritorial actions by the United States.

 

The council stressed that global institutions must act to defend the sovereign rights of nations against unlawful measures that destabilize the international legal framework.