Iran condemned Washington's veto of a UN Security Council resolution aimed at voiding US President Donald Trump's move to recognize Beit-ul-Moqaddas as Israel's capital.
Gholamali Khoshroo, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, slammed the move on Monday, stressing that it was proof that the US is a main supporter of the Israeli regime's occupation and aggression, Press TV reported.
"The US wishes to remove the resolution of Palestine's problems from the UN agenda by twisting reality and misleading public opinion," he said.
He added that it was another example of Washington's hostility toward Muslims and the free world.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi also censured the veto, noting that it was aimed at undermining Palestinians' rights and goes against regional peace and security.
"With its unwise and provocative move of officially recognizing Quds as Israel's capital, the US showed its lack of adherence to international resolutions," he said.
"Iran severely condemns this move and calls on the international community to halt its execution to calm regional tensions."
Qasemi noted that the US veto of the resolution showed that it is violating the legitimate rights of all Palestinians. The Turkish Foreign Ministry also issued a statement voicing its dismay over Washington's veto, saying the US had "lost objectivity" and it was unacceptable for the Security Council to be made "ineffective" by such a measure.
Fourteen members of the 15-member council voted on Monday in favor of the Egyptian-drafted resolution, which did not specifically name the US or Trump but expressed "deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem [Quds]," while US Ambassador Nikki Haley exercised Washington's veto against the call.
Washington's key allies, including the UK, Italy, France, Ukraine and Japan, were among the 14 countries that voted in favor of the measure, which asserted that "any decisions and actions, which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem [Quds] have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council."
On Dec. 6, Trump announced his decision to recognize Beit-ul-Moqaddas as Israel's capital and relocate the US Embassy in occupied lands from Tel Aviv to Quds. The dramatic shift in Washington's policy triggered demonstrations in the occupied Palestinian territories, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Morocco and other Muslim countries.
