Diplomat:

US Sanctions Reflecting Washington’s Disrespect for Int’l Law

Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi censured the recent move by the White House that on Monday declared sanctions against Tehran’s officials, underlining that the move further illustrates the United States' lack of commitment to international law.

News ID: 445637

Date: 26 June 2019 - 21:47

RNA - “The US’s decision today to impose more sanctions against Iran is another indication that American does not attach any respect to the international laws and the prevailing international opinion,” Majid Takht Ravanchi said at the United Nations’ headquarters in New York on Monday.

Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump announced the measures against the office of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, Iran's foreign minister, and senior commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), the country’s elite defense force. Trump said the measures would deny the Leader's office and other Iranian officials access to financial instruments.

“We will continue to increase pressure on Tehran, until the regime abandons its dangerous activities” Trump alleged

Takht Ravanchi said conditions were not ripe for a dialogue with the United States, and that Iran would not accept such dialogue while it is under the threat of sanctions.

The United States must stop "its economic warfare and terrorism against the Iranian people," he asserted.

The envoy also protested at the UN Security Council (UNSC)’s keeping the country out of an underway closed-door meeting called by the US to address Iranian forces’ recent downing of an intruding American drone.

“As a country, whose airspace has been violated…, Iran had a right to be present at the meeting,” he said, pointing to the right as Iran’s entitlement under the UN Charter.

“Today, the Security Council was briefed unilaterally by the United States [on the incident],” the Iranian official said. He blamed the US for shutting Iran out of the session by misusing its position as a permanent Council member to “mislead Council members in order to further its age-old anti-Iranian policy.”

He reminded that the Council had been provided with “undeniable information” regarding the incident, which showed the aircraft’s exact course and point of entry. Iran’s move to bring down the drone fitted perfectly within the international legal norms and was consistent with the UN Charter’s Article 51, he added.

The US has trespassed on Iran’s skies on numerous occasions, Takht Ravanchi reminded, and recalled that the Islamic Republic’s forces had showed “maximum restraint” by sparing a manned American aircraft, which was simultaneously encroaching on the Iranian airspace.

“These are just a number of instances of the US’s provocative and adventurist measures in intruding into Iran’s borders and airspace,” he stated.

He urged that Washington put an end to the adventurism, and reiterated Tehran’s assertion that “we are neither after war, nor want tensions in the Persian Gulf region to increase.”

Both inside and outside the region, however, a certain “circle” is trying to up the tension through dangerous behavior to justify regional militarism and arms sales, Takht Ravanchi said.

Those would resort to “deceit and misinformation” to further their ambitions, he added, citing the example of the US’s allegations trying to pin recent attacks on two oil tankers, one Japanese and another Norwegian-owned, in the Sea of Oman on Iran.

Those allegations were spurned even by some of the US’s close allies, Takht Ravanchi said. “How can Iran possibly benefit from an attack on a tanker heading for Japan at a time when the country’s prime minister is meeting with the topmost Iranian official during a historical visit?”

He was referring to an underway meeting between Premier Abe Shinzo and Ayatollah Khamenei at the time when the blasts occurred. “There is no funnier allegation” than the one implicating Iran,” the official said.

According to Fars News Agancy, he finally cited the need for genuine dialogue on regional security, asking UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to play a role.

Also, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi reacted to the new US sanctions on Iran’s topmost authorities, saying the imposition of sanctions means the “permanent” end to diplomacy with the US’ desperate administration.

“Imposing useless sanctions on Iran’s Leader, and the commander of Iran’s diplomacy means the permanent closure of the path of diplomacy with the desperate government of the United States,” Mousavi said in a tweet.

His post on Twitter came a few hours after Donald Trump signed an executive order, imposing new sanctions against top officials of Iran.

“Trump’s administration is destroying all of the established international mechanisms for maintaining world peace and security,” he added, referring to the B-team, which Iran says is behind all of US’ hostile policies against the Islamic Republic.

The B-Team is a reference to US National Security Adviser John Bolton, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MbS) and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MbZ).

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