UN Rights Meeting on Iran Would Harm Ties With West

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian cautioned the UN Human Rights Council against organizing any meeting on Iran, stressing that such a session would negatively affect Iran’s cooperation with the West.
The top Iranian diplomat discussed several issues in a phone conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday, IRNA reported.
Amir-Abdollahian denounced the double standards of some western governments and rejected their efforts to hold a UN Human Rights Council session on Iran.
“The UN Human Rights Council should hold sessions for governments that are encouraging violence and terror, not for the Islamic Republic of Iran which is a true defender of human rights and has exercised great restraint during recent riots,” he said.
He warned about the “negative consequences” of the UNHRC’s “political measure” on cooperation between Iran and the West.
“Contrary to the UN Charter, few western countries exploited the peaceful demands in Iran and encouraged violence and offered tutorials on building weapons and Molotov cocktail on media and social networks which led to the killing of police and insecurity in Iran,” the minister said.
Such measures prepared the ground for a terrorist attack by IS, he said, referring to Shah Cheragh Shrine terror attack in Shiraz on October 26 which claimed the lives of more than a dozen pilgrims, including women and children, and injured at least 40 others.
Amir-Abdollahian also condemned the “security and media” meddling of an Arab country in riots inside the country, apparently referring to Saudi Arabia which according to Iranian intelligence agencies has had a role in the unrest.
Guterres rejected the council’s political interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
Iranian intelligence bodies have found the footprints of foreign intelligence agencies, led by the CIA, in the riots that erupted following the death of young Iranian woman Mahsa Amini in police custody.

Positive Step

The Iranian foreign minister referred to “technical” negotiations between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, describing the bilateral cooperation as “appropriate”.
He had said on November 2 that an Iranian delegation would travel to Vienna to hold talks with the IAEA.
Iran has already voiced readiness to hold technical talks with IAEA experts to discuss the accusations related to so-called “undeclared” nuclear sites, which were made based on false reports provided by the Israeli regime.
Tehran has asked the IAEA to avoid politicizing the issue and focus on technical aspects in line with the organization’s mandate.
Furthermore, Amir-Abdollahian informed Guterres about recent message exchanges between Tehran and Washington through the European Union.
The UN chief lauded Iran’s insistence on diplomacy, noting that the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, would safeguard the interests of all parties.
He also said continued cooperation with the IAEA was a positive step by Iran.
In addition, Amir-Abdollahian stressed that Iran continues to cooperate with the United Nations for extending the truce in Yemen
“Of course, any decision on continuation of truce and complete removal of siege in Yemen will be adopted by Yemeni leaders and people,” he said
Guterres appreciated Iran’s “constructive” role in the fight against terrorism and its help in establishing truce in Yemen, also calling on Tehran to continue cooperation with UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg for extending the temporary truce.
The UN chief also pointed to a recent meeting that he had with ambassadors of Persian Gulf countries and Iran, hoping that a new structure for regional cooperation could strengthen peace and stability in the region.
The UN-brokered truce between the Saudi-led coalition and Yemen first came into effect in April and has been extended twice since.
In mid-October, Yemeni Foreign Minister Hisham Sharaf said there would be no talks about the extension of the six-month truce which expired on October 2 unless the nation’s legitimate demands were fully met.