Iran’s Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani says Tehran welcomes a move by the UN General Assembly to endorse a resolution calling for the reconsideration of Palestine’s UN membership bid.
The resolution, which was spearheaded by the United Arab Emirates (on behalf of the Arab Group), was adopted on Friday by overwhelming consensus with 143 member states voting in favor, 9 against and 25 abstentions.
“The admission of Palestine as a full member of the UN is a first step and a pivotal moment in addressing the historical injustices endured by the Palestinian people,” Iravani said in an address to the General Assembly session on Friday.
Co-sponsored by Turkey along with nearly 80 member states, the resolution expressed “deep regret and concern” over the veto of the US at the UN Security Council on April 18.
The Iranian diplomat added that Tehran acknowledges and supports the General Assembly’s decision which represents a “modest yet crucial step” in fulfilling the international community’s obligations toward the people of Palestine and restoring some of their inherent rights.
He emphasized that the resolution “rightly” underscored that Palestine is qualified to become a UN member by Article 4 of the world body’s Charter.
The top Iranian diplomat reiterated Palestine’s commitment to peace and its ability to fulfill the obligations under the UN Charter, saying, “Consequently, it deserves full membership in the United Nations.”
“Conversely, the Israeli regime’s actions disqualify and render this regime ineligible as a peace-loving entity capable of upholding the UN Charter’s obligations,” he emphasized.
Iravani added that the Tel Aviv regime consistently violates international law, the UN Charter and UN resolutions while it also refused to comply with the legally binding orders of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The regime persists in egregious violations including massacres, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide, he noted.
He said mass graves discovered in Gaza “painted a harrowing picture of war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Israeli regime.”
“These actions run counter to the fundamental values of the United Nations and all basic norms and principles of international law and threaten international peace and security,” the Iranian ambassador pointed out.
Iran regrets the US obstruction of the draft press statement of the Security Council proposed by Algeria calling for an impartial, transparent, and international investigation to determine the facts behind the horrific crime of mass graves in Gaza, he said.
“This irresponsible behavior by a permanent member of the Security Council is unacceptable, reckless, and contradicts the international community’s will,” he added.
