TEHRAN — Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, has said the United States’ brutal assassination of General Qassem Soleimani was an obvious example of state terrorism pursued in gross violation of the fundamental principles of international law.

“The United States’ brutal and cowardly assassination of Major General Qassem Soleimani, the champion of fighting terrorists in the region, and his companions, while on an official visit to neighboring Iraq, is an obvious example of state terrorism pursued in gross violation of the fundamental principles of international law, entailing criminal responsibility of its perpetrators,” Takht-Ravanchi said on Friday, according to IRNA.

He made the remarks to the Virtual Counter-Terrorism Week under the theme of “Strategic and Practical Challenges of Countering Terrorism in a Global Pandemic Environment”.

This tragedy was a big gift to Daesh and other terrorist groups in the region who celebrated his assassination, he said.

The ambassador said the coronavirus and terrorism have several astounding commonalities, saying, “Neither recognizes any border. Both kill innocent people in an indiscriminate manner. They spread easily and undermine the well-being of societies whilst bringing tremendous economic downturns.”

“They spread fear and anxiety and can only be defeated in the spirit of global partnership, solidarity, and genuine cooperation among all actors at the national, regional, and international levels.”

According to Takht-Ravanchi, in the fight against terrorists, there is no choice but to harness the power of the multilateral approach through enhanced information sharing and cooperation to effectively and swiftly address the vulnerabilities, mitigate the existing challenges and find practical solutions for emerging problems.

For instance, he said, the unilateral coercive measures deny essential tools for a collective response to terrorism and hinder cooperation as well as genuine efforts in this endeavor, hence providing a breeding ground for terrorism.

“The pandemic has even exacerbated the consequences of such a vicious approach,” the ambassador lamented.

“The imposition by the U.S. of its laws and regulations with an extraterritorial impact on my country and others is, by definition, tantamount to terrorism,” he stated.

Takht-Ravanchi further said the coercive measures are manifestations of structural violence that violate inalienable human rights, inter alia, the right to peace, right to development, right to health, and above all, the right to life.

“The United States’ maximum pressure policy against Iran is designed to deliberately and indiscriminately target innocent civilians with the sole purpose of causing pain and suffering among them,” he said. “Therefore, these actions constitute terrorist acts and, in the broader context, economic terrorism.”

He labeled the brutal suppression of Palestinian people by the Israeli regime as one of the gravest forms of terrorism, calling on the international community to condemn Israel for its atrocities.

The ambassador also pointed to foreign intervention in Iraq and Syria, saying such interventions have helped create the current violent extremist and terrorist groups.

Takht-Ravanchi criticized the U.S. representative for leveling unsubstantiated claims against Iran, saying it is common knowledge that Iran has been at the forefront of combating terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS.

“In fact, it is the U.S. who is promoting terrorism not only in our region but almost everywhere in the world. The United States’ interventionist approach in our region has created chaos and an environment fertile for terrorism to grow,” he added.

Moreover, the envoy continued, the U.S. has been harboring the MKO, a notorious and dangerous terrorist organization responsible for the killing of at least 12,000 Iranians and many Iraqis.

“Through providing the deadliest weaponry to the aggressors in the conflict in Yemen, the U.S. is responsible for the continued catastrophe in that country resulting in terrorizing and killing of many innocent Yemenis,” Takht-Ravanchi concluded.

MH/PA