Statement by H.E. Dr. Seyed Abbas Araghchi Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the Nineteenth Midterm Ministerial Meeting

of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (15–16 October 2025, Kampala, Republic of Uganda)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم

Mr. Chairman,

Excellencies, Distinguished Ministers, Ladies and Gentlemen, Allow me first to express my sincere gratitude to the Government and people of Uganda for their warm and generous hospitality.

Uganda's leadership during this term, combined with its tireless efforts to further the Movement's goals and build solidarity among its members, deserves our appreciation. The Islamic Republic of Iran, deeply committed to the ideals of the NonAligned Movement, has always stressed the essential importance of multilateralism and adherence to international law.

We are firmly convinced that lasting global peace and stability can only be realized through diplomacy and joint cooperation, while unilateral actions and coercive measures threaten peace and erode trust between nations. Excellencies, Just last month, the United States and the European permanent members of the Security Council tried to misuse the UN Security Council to reinstate terminated UN Security Council reolutions against the Islamic 2 Republic of Iran—a clear breach of the provisions laid out in Resolution 2231. From Iran's point of view— which is also shared by a number of UN Security

Council members, both permanent and non-permanent, while the resolution 2231 is due to expire on its Termination Day, i.e. October 18 of this year, the revival of these terminated measures is completely groundless and illegitimate, amounting to nothing more than a means of political extortion. Given these circumstances, we urge fellow Movement members to stay true to NAM's bedrock principles and refuse to go along with such invalid and illegal maneuvers, which are purely aimed at gaining political leverage by flouting international law and norms.

Taking this stand not only renews our joint dedication to the Movement's core values but also signals loud and clear to the world that independent nations, united in solidarity and purposeful resolve, will not bow to bullying or coercive pressures. Excellencies, Dear colleagues, Another pressing concern that calls for our collective outcry is the suffering of the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza. As the Palestinians’ right of self-determination is systematically and continually violated, the whole nation has come under the most brutal genocidal campaign during the past two years. More than 70,000 innocent Palestinians have been killed and Gaza Strip is levelled to the ground. The Israeli occupying regime has committed all these harrowing atrocities with the full support and complicity of the U.S. and other Western states.

The Israeli criminals must be held accountable, prosecuted and punished. Iran supports any measure to stop genocide, remove occupying soldiers from the Strip, provide humanitarian access to the Gazans and rebuild Gaza. 3 That said, we must never forget that any solution for the issue of Palestine would be doomed to failure without recognizing the right of Palestinian people to self-determination. The people of Palestine has every right to continue its legitimate and lawful struggle for self-determination, and to free itself from the cruel yoke of the Zionist regime’s occupation, apartheid and colonial subjugation. Israelis aggressive expansionism, marked by recurrent military assaults on neighboring countries and, in particular, its unprovoked act of aggression against my country in June this year, proves that it knows no ethical or legal boundaries, whatsoever.

As the mounting global pressures have compelled the Israeli regime to ostensibly agree to a ceasefire proposal, it sounds essential to keep recording, tracking, and publicizing their crimes against Palestinians. It is vital to leverage every national and international legal mechanism at our disposal to bring war criminals and genocide perpetrators to justice, averting future recurrences and ensuring that no one escapes accountability.

Dear colleagues,

Today more than ever, Movement members must unite in solidarity, pursue collaborative initiatives, and make judicious choices to honor NAM's guiding tenets.

We should reject any involvement with unlawful measures including sanctions born from the manipulation of global fora and elevate our unified call for justice, the rule of international law, and orderly relations. To champion the lofty principles that form the foundation of our Movement, the Islamic Republic of Iran is eager to partner with every member, drawing on all available avenues. Thank you for your kind attention.