Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations has rebuked the United States’ unconditional support for Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza by abusing its veto power against the establishment of a ceasefire in the war-torn besieged territory.
Amir Saeid Iravani made the remark on Tuesday at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, which discussed the recent use of the veto by the US against an amendment to Security Council resolution 2720 on Gaza.
The Russian-proposed amendment called for an “urgent suspension of hostilities” to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access to Palestinians in the war-ravaged territory as well as a “sustainable” cessation of hostilities.
Iravani vehemently censured the unwarranted and irresponsible use of the veto by the United States that hindered the Security Council from fulfilling its vital duty of maintaining international peace and security.
The top Iranian diplomat stressed that despite all international calls for the Security Council to fulfill its obligation and halt the bloodshed in Gaza, the body has once again fallen short of its duties, solely due to yet another obstruction by the United States.
“Unfortunately, through the veto of the proposed amendment put forth by Russia which aimed at a sustainable cessation of hostilities in Gaza, the United States has once again indicated a lack of commitment to ending the violence in Gaza and safeguarding civilian lives,” Iravani said.
“Indeed, the veto granted Israel unchecked freedom for additional, unrestricted, and indiscriminate bombings on civilian infrastructure and the population of Gaza without any time constraints,” he added.
Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the UN underlined that a “sustainable and durable ceasefire” was the sole way to ending Israel’s US-backed genocide in Gaza.
“We are of the firm belief that the only practical way to proceed is to prevent and stop the criminal and genocidal aggression against innocent civilians in Gaza, establish a sustainable and durable ceasefire, ensure access to humanitarian assistance on a large scale, and halt the forced displacement of the People in the Gaza Strip,” he said.
“Without a sustainable ceasefire, the tragedy worsens, leading to the loss of innocent lives, including children, and women.”
Iravani also stressed that the Israeli occupation should be punished for its international wrongdoings, which he said have put the whole West Asia region on fire.
“The United States faces a critical choice: it can either persist in its current trajectory, or it can choose to refrain from providing unconditional support,” the top Iranian diplomat asserted.
“Without such support, Israel would encounter difficulties in sustaining its actions of mass violence and genocide against the Palestinian population.”
Since the start of Israel’s brutal aggression on Gaza on October 7, the United States has vetoed several resolutions at the United Nations that aimed to establish a ceasefire and stop the Israeli massacre of Palestinians in the besieged territory.
So far, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 23,210 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 59,167 others.