TEHRAN- The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, Majid Takht Ravanchi, on Thursday urged the UN Security Council to hold some states accountable for employing economic sanctions against civilian populations in other countries.

Iran has been the target of U.S. economic and financial sanctions for decades, according to Takht Ravanchi. 

“Iran, for decades, has been the target of economic and financial sanctions by the U.S.,” the envoy underlined. 

He made the statements during an open debate at the UN Security Council about improving accountability and justice for egregious violations of international law.

Takht Ravanchi stated that the United States' economic and financial sanctions against Iran jeopardize the lives of Iran's most vulnerable citizens.

In 2018, the United States pulled out of a historic nuclear deal with Iran and other international powers, resuming the unlawful and unilateral sanctions that the agreement had suspended.

In the same year, Iran took the case to the International Court of Justice, which unanimously granted a preliminary judgment forcing Washington to eliminate any prohibitions on humanitarian commodities imports into the Islamic Republic.

During the debate, Takht Ravanchi said, “Unfortunately, the United States has not only failed to comply with the Court's order but also defied it by imposing additional sanctions, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

He went on to say that the Security Council's silence on the “Zionist regime against the Palestinian people is a clear example of the council's irresponsibility and inaction,” defining such crimes as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

According to the Iranian ambassador, constraints on medicine and medical supplies have resulted in the deaths of certain Iranian patients, including children, as a result of the sanctions.

The envoy added that the UNSC has failed to appropriately address several severe violations of international law, including the illegitimate sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic.