The United States "desperate" attempts to make a case for United Nations action against Iran over its regional policies and internal affairs have only led to its further isolation on the international stage, says a senior official.
The US has been lobbying for Iran to be held accountable at the UN Security Council for the past year over various issues such as the country's missile program, domestic protests, and the war in Yemen, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi told reporters on Friday, Fars News Agency reported.
However, its efforts have failed so far, he said on the sidelines of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties, which started in Tehran on Friday and closed on Saturday.
US President Donald Trump's administration took ambassadors from the Security Council on a field trip on Monday to inspect what American officials claimed were remnants of Iranian missiles and other weaponry illegally supplied to Yemen's Houthis, the New York Times reported.
Iran has denied supplying Houthi fighters with such weaponry and described the arms displayed in Washington as "fabricated".
The US has also escalated efforts to put pressure on Iran over its missile program, which Tehran says is for defensive purposes only, and recently brought up recent demonstrations in the country at a meeting of the Security Council.
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Araqchi described the US-organized tour of a military hangar near Washington as a "desperate" move, saying, "It was a theatrical move by the US government where it displayed some pieces whose provenance is unknown."
He also said Washington's decision to call for a Security Council meeting to discuss the protests in Iran led to further isolation of the US due to other council members' support for Iran.
"The reactions and feedback of different countries which we saw after this move show that this desperate act has not been effective," the official added.
"The stance of the Russian government and other countries in this regard was clear," Araqchi said, noting that this path would lead the US nowhere.
A wave of protests recently erupted throughout Iran over economic grievances, particularly a surge in prices of basic food supplies, but soon took on a political dimension.
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French, Russian, and Chinese officials were among those who suggested the Security Council is not the right platform to discuss a country's domestic affairs.
France's ambassador to the UN said at the time the protests do not threaten international peace and security, according to Reuters.
"As worrisome as they may be, developments in recent days do not pose a threat to international peace and security," Ambassador Francois Delattre said.
Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia noted the US was abusing the Security Council's platform and the meeting was an attempt to use the situation to undermine the Iran nuclear deal, which the US administration opposes.
Discussing the domestic situation of Iran at the council "does not help resolve the domestic issue of Iran," said China's Deputy UN Ambassador Wu Haitao.
In addition, Iran's UN Ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo said the US had abused its power as a permanent member of the council by calling for a meeting to discuss the protests.
