TEHRAN — The Foreign Ministry has dismissed the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ anti-Iran allegations, saying the allegations were leveled under political pressure from the U.S. and Saudi regimes.

In a statement on Friday, the Foreign Ministry expressed deep concern over the abuse of the UN Secretariat for political purposes, Foreign Ministry website reported.

According to the statement, the Secretariat has so far refrained from reporting on numerous violations by the United States and European States with respect to the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA (Annex A to the Resolution), the unlawful withdrawal of the United States from the JCPOA, which is a grave violation of Resolution 2231 and its subsequent illegal actions towards UN Security Council Resolution 2231 by re-imposition of sanctions. 

“While the Secretariat has treated with utmost tolerance and leniency towards these violations so far, it is now surprisingly engaged with an issue in which it has no authority to point out highly technical and legal findings, and its so-called technical report is in no way in line with the practical arrangements of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 to perform its functions,” the statement read. 

The Foreign Ministry also pointed out that the Secretariat's report coincides with the U.S. move to propose a dangerous draft resolution that paves the way for extension of arms restrictions on Iran in an illegal way.

And yet more surprisingly, it continued, the content of this report is used by the U.S. two weeks prior to its official release. 

“The aforementioned fact creates the impression that the report has been prepared under direction of the United States and to be used in the efforts of that State in the Security Council against Iran,” it added.

“Levelling accusations against other states using self-created processes and arbitrary procedures is a dangerous heresy, which is not accepted by the international community,” the ministry warned. 

It noted that such reports will not only fail to help bring peace and security to the region and implement the UN resolutions, but will also completely destroy the credibility and reputation of the United Nations. 

“The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly recommends that the UN Secretariat not move in the pre-planned U.S. scenario to prevent the lifting of Iran's arms restrictions and not assist a violating State in this dangerous process by circulating such unlawful reports. The United States itself is the gravest violator of Security Council Resolution 2231, and no one can clear the name of that State from systematic violations of international rules,” the statement concluded.

Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht-Ravanchi also condemned the report, saying it has been made under political pressure from the U.S.

Iran rejects allegations in the UN Secretariat report, including the “Iranian origin” of the arms, Takht-Ravanchi said via Twitter on Friday.

“UN Secretariat lacks capacity, expertise & knowledge to conduct investigations,” he wrote.

“Seems the US—with its history of Iran-bashing—sits in the driver’s seat to shape UN ‘assessments’,” he added.

MH/PA