US Vetoes Enable Israeli Genocidal Crimes in Gaza: Iran UN Envoy

Iran's ambassador to the UN, Saeed Iravani, delivered a statement at the UN General Assembly during a session held on October 1 to discuss attempts by the Zionist regime to fend off efforts aimed at bringing an end to the brutal war on Gaza.

The full text of his statement is as follows:

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

Mr. President,

It is deeply regrettable that, for the sixth time in recent months, the Security Council has been unable to adopt a resolution to halt the brutal aggression against the Palestinian people, owing to the repeated abuse of the veto by the United States.

Such obstruction not only stands in stark contrast to the overwhelming will of the international community, which has consistently affirmed its support for justice, peace, and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, but also directly contradicts the very commitment to peace-seeking role that the United States has repeatedly claimed, while in practice shielding the occupying aggressor and enabling the continuation of grave violations of international law.

For nearly eight decades, the Israeli occupying regime has pursued illegal and criminal policies, escalating in the past two years into systematic and indiscriminate bombardments that have killed tens of thousands of civilians, including women and children. These acts constitute grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, amounting to ethnic cleansing, unlawful blockade, starvation as a method of warfare, settlement and apartheid policies, settler terrorism, land confiscation, home demolitions, and attacks on Islamic and Christian holy sites, leaving Gaza in ruins.

These actions also represent genocide and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Indeed, the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry has officially confirmed that the Israeli regime has committed genocide in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Mr. President,

Despite all these grave realities, it remains the case that the Security Council has still been paralyzed in the face of this crisis. By repeatedly shielding Israeli regime’s criminal authorities from accountability, Washington has enabled the continuation of grave breaches of international law, undermined the Council’s credibility, eroded the foundations of multilateralism, and abdicated its Charter-based duty to maintain international peace and security.

The international community cannot remain silent in the face of such dramatic situation. Instead, it is imperative, particularly for the members of the Security Council, to fulfill their responsibilities under Chapter VII of the Charter by adopting urgent and binding measures to halt the bloodshed, ensure accountability, and protect the Palestinian people and other nations in the region who continue to face threats to their lives and independence from the Israeli war machinery.

We therefore call upon the security Council to:

Adopt and enforce an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza;

Ensure the lifting of all Israeli restrictions and blockades on humanitarian aid, in compliance with international humanitarian law;

Reject and denounce any schemes involving annexations and forced displacement or resettlement in third countries;

Condemn Israel’s repeated acts of aggression against nations in the region, including Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Qatar, and Iran;

Approving the admission of the State of Palestine as a full-fledged member of the United Nations;

Compel Israel to withdraw its occupying forces from the Palestinian occupied territories, Lebanon, and Syria, and end its ongoing aggression and violations; and

Impose binding punitive measures on Israel, in accordance with Chapter VII, so that this regime — and its principal supporter, the United States — understands that the international community will not tolerate genocide, crimes against humanity, or aggression with impunity.

Mr. President,

The Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates that ending genocide and occupation in Palestine and establishing an independent State of Palestine with full UN membership, is both the demand of the international community and a responsibility of all Member States—without exception. The inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including self‑determination and justice for crimes committed against them, must be upheld. We firmly believe that the only sustainable path to resolving this historic crisis is a solution that guarantees the full enjoyment of these rights, free from foreign intervention, coercion, or external domination.

I thank you.