TEHRAN – Iranian Ambassador to the UN Amir Saeid Iravani has underlined the need for the ongoing assessment of sanctions due to their humanitarian consequences. 

In a statement to the United Nations Security Council, Iravani said, “Regarding sanctions, we believe that these measures must undergo rigorous and ongoing assessment for their profound humanitarian consequences, with a commitment to suspend or terminate them when deemed essential.”

Iravani added, “When deliberating the imposition of sanctions, particularly in scenarios, where their necessity or justification is questionable, the Security Council should exercise its Chapter VII powers with deliberate care, wisdom, and profound consideration of the significant humanitarian and human rights repercussions on civilian populations.”

He continued, “Furthermore, the penholders must refrain from using sanctions as a cover for illegal unilateral actions or as a weapon against the countries under the agenda to advance their narrow political purposes, all of which would be harmful to civilian populations and the well-being of independent sovereign states. Unilateral Coercive Measures (UCMs) have no legal basis and blatantly violate international law and the UN Charter.”

He also called for a comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council. Underlining the need to improve the efficiency of the UN body, he said, “In pursuit of these goals, the most effective approach is to initiate a comprehensive reform that will transform the Security Council into an entirely transparent, rule-based, and, most importantly, accountable body that upholds the rule of law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter while serving the common interests of the entire membership.”