Iran urges UN states to reject US sanctions and condemns maritime pressure

TEHRAN- Iran has urged all countries to reject the United States’ “extraterritorial application” of unilateral sanctions, arguing that Washington is seeking to pressure sovereign states into subordinating their economic interests and foreign policies to US demands. Gholamhossein Darzi, Iran’s ambassador and deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, made the remarks Tuesday during a UN Security Council open debate on the council’s role in addressing global and local food crises. Darzi called on the Security Council to “categorically condemn and reject” unilateral coercive measures aimed at forcing sovereign states to change their lawful economic policies and foreign relations. He linked food insecurity and disruptions to trade and maritime navigation to 'the US-Israeli war against Iran,' arguing that armed conflict, occupation, sanctions and attacks on civilian infrastructure are among the root causes of hunger and instability. Turning to the Strait of Hormuz, Darzi said commercial navigation through the strategic waterway had been uninterrupted before the conflict began. He blamed the United States and Israel for the subsequent disruption, describing their military campaign against Iran as a violation of the UN Charter and international law. According to Darzi, the initial US-Israeli offensive began on Feb. 28, killing more than 3,400 Iranian civilians as well as senior Iranian officials. He also said a second round of US military action beginning June 27 killed more than 60 civilians and injured more than 630 others, while damaging airports, bridges, transport infrastructure, vessels, search-and-rescue facilities and meteorological installations. Iran’s envoy said responsibility for the conflict also extended to countries that provided military bases, logistical assistance, intelligence support, or access to their airspace, arguing that such support contributed to regional instability and threatened maritime security around Hormuz. Darzi further accused Washington of imposing a maritime blockade on Iran and attacking Iranian commercial vessels in international waters. He also condemned Washington’s latest economic measures against Iran, describing them as part of an effort to use food, energy, trade and access to essential goods as instruments of economic pressure. The Iranian diplomat argued that such measures violate principles of sovereign equality, non-intervention and freedom of navigation and called on states to oppose the extraterritorial enforcement of US sanctions. “The Security Council must categorically condemn and reject these unilateral coercive measures,” Darzi said, warning that allowing such actions to go unchallenged could create a dangerous precedent for the international system. Iran, he added, reserved the right to pursue legal avenues for accountability, compensation and redress, while reaffirming its inherent right to self-defense under international law. On the Strait of Hormuz, Darzi maintained that Iran’s actions were defensive and lawful, arguing that as a littoral state it had the right to take measures to protect its territory and sovereignty. He said any future arrangements governing the Strait of Hormuz should be established and managed by its littoral states, specifically Iran and Oman. Darzi rejected allegations that Iran was responsible for disruptions to maritime trade, saying such claims ignored 'the root cause of the crisis: foreign military aggression against Iran.' He concluded by calling for an end to military action, respect for Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the lifting of maritime blockades and unilateral sanctions, and credible guarantees against renewed aggression as prerequisites for restoring regional stability and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.