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PortugueseAmbassadors Danon and Haley called on the UN to take a strong stance against Iran and enforce its own resolutions against the Islamic Republic.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday convened for its first meeting on the “Situation in the Middle East” after US President Donald Trump stated last week that the US was adopting a new policy on Iran, refusing to recertify the Iranian nuclear accord and implementing a tougher strategy toward Tehran.
During his address to the UNSC, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon delivered what he labeled an “indictment” of Iran and presented court-like “charges” detailing its destabilizing policies.
“For thirty-eight years, Iran has threatened and continues to threaten the world. Iran and its proxies butcher innocent people. When terror strikes, a trail of bloody footprints so often traces back to Iran. From Bangkok to Burgas, from Buenos Aires to Beirut, and all the way back to Tehran,” Danon told the Council.
Danon presented four charges and further elaborated Israel’s case against Iran.
“Iran is guilty of sponsoring and endorsing worldwide terror, violating human rights, promoting anti-Semitism and seeking to destroy a UN member state – the State of Israel,” Danon explained.
Detailing the Islamic Republic’s actions, Danon said, “In Syria, Iran has armed Bashar Al-Assad, the butcher of Damascus. Without Iranian support, the Assad Regime would have failed in its evil mission to murder its own people.”
Furthermore, “The Iranian Ayatollahs sponsor Hezbollah’s war chest, Hamas’ budget of bloodshed, and Islamic Jihad’s terror funds.”
“Iran also commits horrific human rights violations against its own people,” Danon continued. “If you are gay, lesbian or bisexual you will be hanged from a crane. In Iran, if you are a girl as young as nine years old you can be married off to a grown man. In Iran, if you’re a journalist and you criticize the regime you will be arrested with no right to a trial.”
Referring to the nuclear deal, Danon noted that “Iran seeks to destroy Israel by any means necessary. It has tried to obtain nuclear capabilities for years. Today, the regime’s intentions are no different than before.”
Iranian leaders have repeatedly and openly stated their intentions to destroy the State of Israel, and have even set a timetable of 25 years to carry out their nefarious plan.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran must be found guilty on all accounts,” Danon stated in conclusion.
Danon called on the UNSC to enforce its resolutions against Iran, a move he said “can save innocent lives.”
“It is the Council’s responsibility to implement them. You do not need to do this for Israel’s sake. If we are attacked by Iran the regime will face no fiercer enemy than Israel. It is the innocent people around the world who need you to act,” he demanded.
‘This Must Stop’
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley urged the UNSC to adopt the Trump administration’s comprehensive approach to Iran and address all aspects of its “destructive conduct” — not just the 2015 nuclear deal.
She told the Council that Iran “has repeatedly thumbed its nose” at UNSC resolutions aimed at addressing Iranian support for terrorism and regional conflicts and has illegally supplied weapons to Yemen and Hezbollah terrorists in Syria and Lebanon.
“Worse, the regime continues to play this council,” Haley said. “Iran hides behind its assertion of technical compliance with the nuclear deal while it brazenly violates the other limits of its behavior, and we have allowed them to get away with it. This must stop.”
Haley cited a long list of Iranian violations, including threatening freedom of navigation in the Gulf, cyber attacks, imprisonment of journalists and other foreigners, and abuse of its people by persecuting some religions and imprisoning gays and lesbians.
She said Iran’s “most threatening act is its repeated ballistic missile launches, including the launch this summer of an ICBM enabling missile.”
“This should be a clarion call to everyone in the United Nations,” Haley said. “When a rogue regime starts down the path of ballistic missiles, it tells us that we will soon have another North Korea on our hands.”
Haley said the Security Council has the opportunity to change its policy toward Iran.
“I sincerely hope it will take this chance to defend not only the resolutions but peace, security and human rights in Iran,” she said.
“Judging Iran by the narrow confines of the nuclear deal misses the true nature of the threat,” Haley stressed. “Iran must be judged in totality of its aggressive, destabilizing and unlawful behavior. To do otherwise would be foolish.”
The Security Council has endorsed the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal which caps its nuclear program for about 10 years, and the agreement has the support of US allies and the four other veto-wielding council members — Britain, France, Russia and China.
But getting the Security Council to take action against Iran for violations of council resolutions banning the transfer of conventional weapons, and more broadly for its support for terrorists and human rights violations is unlikely. It would require support from Russia, which like Hezbollah, is supporting Assad and has good relations with Iran.
Of the major powers, Britain was the only one to support the US call for broader action against Iran.
Deputy British Ambassador Jonathan Allen said his country shares concern about Iran’s ballistic missile program and regional activities and stands ready “to take further appropriate measures to address these issues in close cooperation with the US and all relevant partners.”
“We also look to Iran to engage in constructive dialogue to stop destabilizing actions and work toward negotiated solutions,” he said.
Iran’s deputy UN ambassador, Gholamali Khoshroo, echoed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said earlier Wednesday he wouldn’t respond to “nonsensical comments” by President Donald Trump. He said that “we are not going to waste our time on answering the rants of the brute nature” by Haley.
“The hostile policies” of the US and its regional allies, especially Israel, “that have turned the region into a tinderbox require the Islamic Republic of Iran not to be complacent about the country’s defense needs,” he said.
By: United with Israel Staff and AP
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