Statement by H.E. Mr. Hossein Amir Abdollahian Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran Before the UN Security Council opened deb

New York 23 January 2024

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

 

Mr. President,

I thank you for organizing this timely meeting.

Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, your Excellencies,

We have all gathered today in the Security Council in a situation where the occupying and apartheid regime of Israel does not observe any red line in the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

 

Although under Article 24 of the United Nations Charter, the members of this organization have conferred the "primary responsibility" of "prompt and effective action" for the "maintenance of international peace and security" to the Security Council, the inability of this body to address the crimes of the Israeli regime and to hold it accountable is unacceptable.

 

The United States, as the practical supporter and main accomplice of the Israeli regime in its crimes,  has prevented this body from effectively fulfilling its inherent duties in stopping the overt genocide of a nation and establishing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

On the other hand, the US repeatedly expressed its grave concern about the spillover of tension in the region, and yet continues its full support to the Israeli regime's war machine and even violates the sovereignty of Yemen and practically expands the scope of the conflict. The US must bear the responsibility for its consequences.

 

Instead of calling on others to exercise restraint, the US must compel the Israeli regime to stop the war and pull itself out of the trap that the Israeli regime has set to drag the US into direct conflict.

 

Mr. President, your Excellencies,

We believe that the future of Palestine belongs to all Palestinians.

 I stress that the killing of innocent civilians, especially, women and children must be stopped immediately. War is not the solution. Security cannot be achieved by resorting to the use of force and committing the crime of genocide in Gaza.

 

The killing of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank cannot continue until the so-called "total destruction of Hamas"; Because that time will never come and because, in the past 80 years, this nation’s will of steel has not weakened.

Therefore, the Security Council must fulfill its legal and charter-based responsibility by ending its prolonged inaction and by adopting a decisive resolution.

This resolution should strongly demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, the immediate and complete withdrawal of Israel from Gaza, and a commitment to refrain from any efforts to relocate Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan.

 (Also exchange of prisoners of war remains the most important issue.) This is the only solution to the current crisis.

I  wish to emphasize that it is necessary to completely lift the human blockade of Gaza and ensure unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid to all areas in the north and south of Gaza.

I should also underscore the urgent need to provide the necessary facilities for the return of the people of Gaza to their own areas and the settlement of displaced and homeless people and the help of the international community for the reconstruction of infrastructure.

Furthermore, it is crucial to demand accountability for war crimes committed by Israel and ensure to bring the perpetrators to justice.

 In this context, we support the recent action of the South African.

Today, some political ideas for the future of Palestine are discussed. In any idea, the leaders of the Palestinian groups and the Palestinian people should have the right to choose their own destiny.

 

Mr. President

The United States and the United Kingdom made a strategic mistake with the military attack on Yemen, which will result in the risk of further expanding the scope of the war.

We all consider maritime safety and security to be crucial for global trade and energy security. However, security is an interconnected concept. The course of developments shows that stopping the genocide in Gaza is the main key to the restoration of security to the region.

Netanyahu seeks his own political life in war, and the survival of the Israeli regime relies on regional crises and spilling over of conflict. To this end, the Israeli regime points fingers at Iran, using a tactic of shifting blame. Through the use of lies and disinformation, it cynically tries to divert international attention away from the ongoing genocide and massacres they commit with US support in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

But the Israeli regime cannot deny reality on the ground.  The Israeli regime is fully responsible for the atrocities in occupied Palestine, with its war crimes and genocide widely documented by the United Nations and other human rights institutions, marking it as the most recorded genocide in modern history.

In conclusion, I need to once again reiterate that the permanent solution to the Palestinian problem is only possible through holding a referendum with the participation of all Palestinians.

Thank you, Mr. President!