Tehran: Ali Bahreini, head of the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva, has strongly criticized the United States for implementing unilateral sanctions and engaging in warfare against Iran. He stated that these acts of aggression and blockade are integral parts of a comprehensive strategy aimed at weakening Iran's independence.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Bahreini delivered these remarks during the 5th Meeting of the 63rd Session of the Human Rights Council. During his address, he highlighted that unilateral coercive measures serve as tools of a policy that undermine sovereign equality and the right of peoples to self-determination. These comments were based on an excerpt of his remarks published on the Iranian mission's X account.

Bahreini argued that the combination of unlawful military attacks, economic warfare, and naval blockades against Iran is indicative of a strategy designed to weaken a nation that remains independent and resilient. He emphasized that essential rights, including the right to life and self-determination, should not be subject to negotiation or control by powerful states, insisting that these rights must be upheld without exception.

The ambassador's statements come in the wake of the United States announcing some of its most severe sanctions on Iran, following what appeared to be an unsuccessful military campaign against the country. In his discourse, Bahreini referred to research by UN experts, which suggest that unilateral coercive measures have historically been employed as a means of exerting colonial pressure, thereby undermining both the sovereign equality of states and the self-determination rights of their citizens.

Bahreini concluded by asserting that unilateral coercive measures should not be seen as legitimate instruments for achieving political goals, as they lead to significant human costs and infringe upon the fundamental rights of people worldwide.