WANA (Oct 02) – Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, strongly criticized the United States for repeatedly blocking Security Council resolutions on Gaza, saying Washington’s use of the veto has prevented the Council from adopting measures to halt Israel’s ongoing attacks against Palestinians.

 

Speaking at a General Assembly meeting on the use of veto power, Iravani said it was “deeply regrettable” that for the sixth time in recent months, the Security Council failed to pass a ceasefire resolution due to what he described as the U.S.’s continued misuse of its veto.

 

“The obstruction by the United States not only runs counter to the firm will of the international community—which has consistently supported justice, peace, and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people—but also contradicts America’s own stated commitment to peace,” he said, accusing Washington of enabling Israel’s “systematic violations of international law.”

 

The Iranian envoy claimed that Israel has pursued “illegal and criminal policies” for nearly eight decades, escalating in recent years into indiscriminate bombings that have killed tens of thousands of civilians, including women and children. He said these actions amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, citing UN investigative reports.

 

Iravani further mentioned Israel’s war crimes, including collective punishment, the use of starvation as a weapon, illegal settlements, forced displacement, and attacks on Islamic and Christian holy sites, which he said had turned Gaza into “ruins.”

 

He argued that U.S. protection of Israel has paralyzed the Security Council, weakened multilateralism, and eroded the body’s credibility. “The international community cannot remain silent in the face of this tragic situation,” he said, urging the Council to act under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.

 

Iran’s representative called on the Security Council to:

  1. Adopt and enforce an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
  2. Lift all Israeli restrictions and blockades on humanitarian aid.
  3. Reject and condemn any forced displacement or resettlement plans.
  4. Condemn Israel’s attacks on regional countries, including Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Qatar, and Iran.
  5. Approve full UN membership for the State of Palestine.
  6. Compel Israel to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian, Lebanese, and Syrian territories.
  7. Impose binding punitive measures on Israel under Chapter VII to ensure accountability.

 

Iravani reiterated that ending “genocide and occupation” and establishing a fully independent Palestinian state with UN membership was both an international demand and a responsibility of all member states. He stressed that the only sustainable solution is one that guarantees Palestinians their inalienable rights, including self-determination, free from foreign interference.

People attend a gathering to support Gaza following the Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital in Gaza, in Tehran, Iran, August 25, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)