Iran FM warns UN over session on recent riots in talks with Guterres

The Iranian minister discussed several issues in a phone conversation with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday night.

Amir-Abdollahian slammed the double standards of some Western governments and rejected their efforts to hold a UN Human Rights Council session on Iran.

“The UN Human Rights Council should hold sessions for governments that are encouraging violence and terror, not for the Islamic Republic of Iran which is a true defender of human rights and has exercised great restraint during recent riots,” he said.

He warned about the “negative consequences” of the UNHRC’s “political measure” on cooperation between Iran and the West.

“Contrary to the UN Charter, few Western countries exploited the peaceful demands in Iran and encouraged violence and offered tutorials on building weapons and Molotov cocktail on media and social networks which led to the killing of police and insecurity in Iran,” stressed the minister.

Such measures prepared the ground for a terrorist attack by Daesh, he said, referring to Shah Cheragh Shrine terror attack in Shiraz on October 26 which claimed the lives of more than a dozen pilgrims, including women and children, and injured at least 40 others.

Amir-Abdollahian also slammed the “security and media” meddling of an Arab country in riots inside the country, probably referring to Saudi Arabia which according to Iranian intelligence agencies has had a role in the unrest.

Guterres, for his part, rejected the council’s political interference in the internal affairs of other countries

Foreign-backed riots in Iran have claimed the lives of dozens of people and members of security forces. Iranian intelligence bodies have already found the footprints of foreign intelligence agencies, led by the CIA, in the riots that erupted following the death of young Iranian woman Mahsa Amini.

‘Iran-IAEA cooperation appropriate’

The Iranian foreign minister referred to “technical” negotiations between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), describing the bilateral cooperation as “appropriate”.

The minister had said on November 2 that an Iranian delegation would travel to Vienna to hold talks with the IAEA.

Iran has already voiced readiness to hold technical talks with IAEA experts to discuss the accusations related to so-called “undeclared” nuclear sites, which were made based on false reports provided by the Israeli regime.

Tehran has asked the IAEA to avoid politicizing the issue and focus on technical aspects in line with the organization’s mandate.

Furthermore, Amir-Abdollahian informed Guterres about recent message exchanges between Tehran and Washington through the European Union.

The UN chief lauded Iran’s stress on diplomacy, noting that the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), would safeguard the interests of all parties.

He also said continued cooperation with the IAEA was a positive step by Iran.

On truce in Yemen

Amir-Abdollahian stressed that Iran continues to cooperate with the United Nations for extending the truce in Yemen

“Of course, any decision on continuation of truce and complete removal of siege in Yemen will be adopted by Yemeni leaders and people,” he said

For his part, Guterres appreciated Iran’s “constructive” role in the fight against terrorism and its help in establishing truce in Yemen, also calling on Tehran to continue cooperation with the UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg for extending the temporary truce.

The UN chief also pointed to a recent meeting that he had with ambassadors of Persian Gulf countries and Iran, hoping that a new structure for regional cooperation could strengthen peace and stability in the region.

The UN-brokered truce between the Saudi-led coalition and Yemen first came into effect in April and has been extended twice since.

In mid-October, Yemeni Foreign Minister Hisham Sharaf said there would be no talks about the extension of the six-month truce which expired on October 2 unless the nation’s legitimate demands were fully met.

‘Iran drones accusations baseless’

Elsewhere, the Iranian minister strongly rejected “baseless accusations” on delivery of Iranian drones to Russia for use in the Ukraine war.

Back on November 5, Amir-Abdollahian said Iran has provided Russia with a limited number of drones months before the war in Ukraine.

He also revealed then that Iranian and Ukrainian officials were supposed to meet two weeks ago, as an Iranian defense and political delegation went to a European country to meet the Ukraine delegation. He said that unfortunately, Kiev made a last-minute decision not to attend the meeting.

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