Iran urges Russia, China to block US abuse of UN Security Council

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urges Russia and China to prevent the United States from abusing the United Nations Security Council to commit more crimes against Iran and exacerbate tensions in the region.

In a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday, Araghchi condemned the US and its allies for proposing a resolution at the UN Security Council to exert more pressure on Iran.

“It is expected that member states of the Security Council, particularly Russia and China, and other countries that attach value to the principles of the UN Charter and international law not to allow the US to abuse the Security Council to further complicate the situation simultaneous with its crimes against Iran,” he said.

He once again affirmed Iran's determination to continue defending its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. “Any threat to attack Iran's energy infrastructure constitutes a clear instance of war crime and genocide.”

Araghchi warned that if such threats are carried out, Iran will give a “swift and decisive” response.

On March 21, Donald Trump, the US president, threatened to attack Iran’s power plants if the country does not “fully open, without threat, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 hours.”

He, however, backed away from his 48-hour ultimatum to strike Iran’s power plants on Monday after the Islamic Republic warned that all energy and power installations in the region would be targeted in retaliation.

Trump claimed in a post on his Truth Social media platform that the US and Iran have had “very good and constructive conversations over the past two days regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East.”

The US president also said he had ordered the Pentagon to postpone all plans for military strikes on Iran’s electricity generation infrastructure for five days subject to the outcome of the negotiations.

Araghchi warned that the war imposed by the US and the Israeli regime on Iran would have consequences for the safety and security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, rejecting the unfounded allegations against Iran in this regard.

“The insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz is a direct result of the US-Zionist regime unlawful attacks and the international community should punish and hold these two regimes accountable for their violation of law and committed crimes.”

The Iranian foreign minister expressed deep regret over the approach taken by certain countries, including Bahrain, in aligning with US policy in using the Security Council as a means to exert pressure on Iran, noting that a resolution passed by the Security Council on March 11 was a blatant distortion of realities, as it blamed Iran instead of holding the aggressors accountable.

On February 28, the United States and Israel attacked Iran. They assassinated Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and a number of high-ranking military officials. The two enemies have also killed hundreds of Iranian civilians in airstrikes on the country. 

Iran’s response to the aggression by the US and the Israeli regime has been decisive and precise.
Barrages of missiles and drones have paralyzed the air defenses of the United States in the region. That has caused Israel to fail to intercept many of Iranian missiles pounding the occupied territories.

The Russian foreign minister, for his part, once again condemned the illegal attacks by the US and Israel against Iran.

Lavrov hailed good relations between Moscow and Tehran, saying Russia consistently strives to work in international forums to safeguard international law and prevent the erosion of the rule of law in international relations.

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