Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi brought Iran’s objections to the United States’ new economic sanctions before the United Nations. Araghchi sent letters to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the president of the UN Security Council and UN member states.
According to a statement from Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Araghchi argued that the United States was forcing independent countries to end their lawful economic relations with Iran by threatening secondary sanctions and exclusion from the financial system.
Araghchi said these measures violated the principle of sovereign equality enshrined in the UN Charter and states’ right to freely determine their economic policies. The Iranian minister described the sanctions as an “economic terrorism operation.”
Iran highlights impact on civilians
Araghchi said the US measures were preventing civilians from accessing basic necessities such as food, medicine, medical equipment and energy, and described the sanctions as “collective punishment.”
Araghchi urged the UN and its member states to condemn the United States’ unilateral sanctions and threats of secondary sanctions.
Request for Guterres to assess and document consequences
The Iranian foreign minister also asked Guterres to assess the humanitarian impact of the economic sanctions and their consequences for human rights, and to undertake work to document them.
Araghchi said Iran reserved the right to pursue all avenues available under international law to seek compensation for damage resulting from the actions of the United States.
