Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, criticized the United States for opposing a humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Following the UN General Assembly's overwhelming vote in favor of an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza, where 153 member states supported the resolution, 10, including the US, voted against, and 23 abstained, Iravani expressed concern over the US misuse of its veto power.
Iravani accused the US of standing with the "Israeli criminal regime" and enabling the ongoing massacre of civilians in Gaza, disregarding the international community's united will. The US had vetoed a similar resolution at the UN Security Council earlier. Iravani emphasized that the US's opposition to a ceasefire amounted to endorsing war, violence, and further harm to Gaza's children and women.
Highlighting the urgency of the situation, Iravani noted that Tehran had voted for the resolution. He condemned Israel's deliberate pursuit of actions tantamount to war crimes, including the scorched-earth policy that destroyed infrastructure and residential buildings in the north of Gaza. Iravani warned that the situation on the ground carried risk factors for genocide, urging member states to impede and prevent its occurrence as per the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
Calling on the international community to decisively address Israel's crimes, protect Palestinians, and prevent genocide and war crimes, Iravani urged collective action. Israel initiated the brutal war on Gaza on October 7 in response to the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement's Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, resulting in a devastating toll on Palestinian lives, injuries, and the destruction of infrastructure. Gaza remains under a "complete siege" by Israel.
