Iran UN envoy says aggression and blockade aim to weaken Iran

Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, criticized the United States over unilateral sanctions and military actions against Iran, stating that aggression and blockade are part of a broader strategy to undermine the country's independence. He made the remarks late on Wednesday at the 5th Meeting of the 63rd Session of the Human Rights Council.

Bahreini warned that unilateral coercive measures are instruments of a policy that undermines sovereign equality and peoples' right to self-determination, according to an excerpt of the remarks published on the Iranian mission's X account. He said the convergence of unlawful military attacks, economic warfare, and a naval blockade against Iran reflects a broader strategy to weaken an independent and resilient nation.

"The right to life is not a bargaining chip, and self-determination is not a privilege to be granted or withdrawn by powerful states. Both must be respected, without exception," Bahreini said. His remarks came weeks after the United States announced it was imposing some of its harshest sanctions ever on Iran following what he described as an apparent failure of its military aggression against the country.

In his speech, Bahreini referred to studies by UN experts indicating that unilateral coercive measures have been used as a tool for exerting colonial pressure to undermine the sovereign equality of states and the right to self-determination of their peoples. According to Mehr News, the Iranian envoy's comments underscore Iran's continued criticism of US policies at international forums.