Iranian official criticizes US and Israel for opposing ICC

Iranian Deputy Judiciary Chief and Secretary of the High Council for Human Rights, Kazem Gharibabadi, has strongly criticized the United States and the Israeli regime for their opposition to the International Criminal Court (ICC). In a post on X, Gharibabadi highlighted the irony of the Israeli prime minister, who is subject to an ICC arrest warrant, openly declaring that the US Secretary of State had pledged to take action against the court.

Gharibabadi wrote, "The Prime Minister of the Zionist regime, the accused with an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, brazenly declares that the US Secretary of State has pledged to act against the Court pursuing him." He added, "They call the Court 'corrupt' because it dared to pursue Washington's wanted criminal," referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The remarks came after Netanyahu posted on X that he had held talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and that Washington had promised to act against the ICC. Netanyahu described the ICC as "an institution that undermines justice, attacks democratic and sovereign nations and seeks to subordinate their security to the decisions of unaccountable and corrupt officials in The Hague."

According to Mehr News Agency, Gharibabadi's comments reflect Iran's consistent stance against what it views as double standards by Western powers regarding international law and human rights. The ICC had issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in connection with alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories, a move that has drawn sharp reactions from Israel and its allies.