Geneva: Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, stated that the United States is the primary factor behind the collapse of the international order grounded in international law, cautioning against Washington's systematic disregard for core legal principles.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Gharibabadi made these remarks during a high-level meeting of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, held on the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva on Monday. He highlighted US military interventions, unilateral coercive economic measures, threats to states' territorial integrity, and persistent violations of sovereignty and non-interference as evidence of a calculated effort to undermine the existing legal framework.

Gharibabadi emphasized that Iran rejects this destabilizing reality, reaffirming Tehran's commitment to the UN Charter, national sovereignty, and the principle of non-intervention. He stressed that Iran would uphold its rights not through submission but through lawful, measured resistance and strategic self-reliance.

He also criticized US support for the Israeli regime, asserting that Washington's backing, including vetoing draft resolutions aimed at halting the war in Gaza, has enabled war crimes and genocide, emboldening the regime to expand aggression across West Asia, including against Iran's sovereign territory.

The meeting was part of the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council, with foreign ministers and deputy ministers from member states attending. Participants reviewed challenges facing the international order, condemned US actions and threats of military aggression against Iran, and voiced firm support for Tehran. They also underscored the need for solidarity among independent states and for strengthening multilateralism within the framework of the UN Charter.