Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi’s remarks upon arrival in New York

This trip is taking place after the unjust war waged by the United States and the Israeli regime against us, the developments that followed, and, in fact, a situation that continues to persist as a state of war.

First and foremost, naturally, our most important objective is to use a major international platform to defend the legitimacy, rights and interests of the Iranian people. The United Nations is the largest international platform.

How successful the UN has been in achieving its objectives of establishing peace, security and justice is one matter. The fact that it nevertheless provides countries with a platform to make their positions and views heard by the world is another matter. The latter is of great importance to us, and every year we have used this opportunity to express the legitimate positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran, our well-known positions, and to defend the rights of the Iranian people.

This year, following the war that took place, it is natural that this platform will be a place to convey the victimization of the Iranian people, the martyrs of Iran, the martyrs of the Minab school, and, foremost among them, our martyred Leader and Guide.

Last year, the President used this opportunity to speak about the crimes committed during the 12-day war, and this year, naturally, we are in an even more significant situation. The President will address the UN General Assembly. He will hold meetings with scholars, media figures, and Iranian and non-Iranian intellectuals. Dr. Pezeshkian will also give interviews to various media outlets, and there will be numerous bilateral meetings with heads of state. I will also hold meetings with foreign ministers, which will be a good opportunity both to review bilateral relations with these countries and to express our positions and defend the country’s national interests.

The theme selected for this year’s General Assembly is “Reviving Trust in the United Nations.” This shows that all countries acknowledge that there is no trust left and that confidence in this organization has been lost. Unfortunately, this is due to its ineffectiveness in establishing international peace and security.

Some countries consider themselves entitled to do whatever they want and pay no attention to any international institution, any international law, or even the collective conscience of humanity, while granting immunity to themselves and their political allies and dependents. Therefore, we are witnessing that the hands of a criminal regime such as the Israeli regime are completely free to do whatever it wants. Unfortunately, Western and European countries that portray themselves as champions of human rights and international humanitarian law remain silent in the face of this.

We have witnessed no serious condemnation from these countries regarding Palestine, Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, or the crimes that have been committed. Yet, if someone somewhere in a country such as Iran, for example, encounters a problem, they shed crocodile tears and raise cries of lamentation. But in the face of the crimes that were committed, when 168 innocent children were deliberately massacred in a single moment, these countries did not even issue a simple condemnation.

Therefore, naturally, no trust can remain in an organization that is influenced by these countries. Hence, the issue of reviving trust is an important one, and it provides an opportunity to discuss with the world how trust in the United Nations has been lost and how it can be restored.

There will also be side events. There will be a summit of heads of state on the environment. Meetings of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Non-Aligned Movement, and other organizations that take advantage of these gatherings to hold their own meetings will also provide opportunities that will be utilized.

Ultimately, the meetings that will take place—and since everyone is here, bilateral meetings provide an opportunity to review Iran’s relations with various countries—will, God willing, be utilized during an intensive four- to five-day program.