TEHRAN – On the 36th anniversary of the tragic downing of an Iranian passenger plane by a U.S. Navy guided-missile cruiser in the Persian Gulf, resulting in the death of all 290 people on board, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has issued a strong condemnation of the United States' long history of human rights violations.

“On July 3, 1988, the USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655, which was carrying 290 passengers and crew members, including 46 non-Iranian passengers and 66 minors under the age of 13. Not only the United States failed to apologize to Iran, but it also awarded the USS Vincennes’ commander a medal,” the ministry said in a statement posted on its official X account on Tuesday.

This statement coincided with Iran's national "Week of Reviewing and Exposing American Human Rights Violations," aimed at highlighting the United States’ contentious human rights record both domestically and internationally.

Highlighting the systemic and widespread human rights violations by the United States, the Iranian Foreign Ministry pointed out that American policymakers, under the guise of human rights advocacy, have consistently facilitated illegal interventions worldwide.

The ministry cited studies from 2023 indicating ongoing violations of basic human rights by the United States at various levels, including unilateral actions and economic sanctions against several countries. 

“Under the guise of promoting human rights, American politicians annually pressure or sanction countries that do not align with their political interests. Such actions, which contravene international regulations and norms and violate international human rights treaties and documents, indicate widespread human rights violations by the U.S. government. Unilateral actions and economic sanctions are among the most significant examples of human rights violations by various US administrations. Many countries currently face American sanctions pressure, including Iran, Russia, Belarus, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, China, Pakistan, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Sudan, Syria, and Lebanon,” the statement reads.

Critically, the ministry accused the United States of committing gross and organized human rights violations through unilateralism and the intensified use of economic sanctions without United Nations authorization. It argued that such actions have had detrimental effects on global human rights standards, exacerbating economic stagnation and marking a significant retreat from the rule of law.

“The use of sanctions as a tool to pressure politically independent countries that oppose US international practices has continued for decades and, at various levels, represents clear instances of human rights violations. These sanctions have had significant negative impacts on nations worldwide, depriving citizens in various countries of their natural and legal rights.”

The statement also underscored the human costs of American support for "arbitrary wars," backing despotic governments, and violating the rights of oppressed peoples, including Palestinians.

Regarding recent events, the ministry condemned the United States’ role in the conflict between Israel and Palestine, particularly highlighting American vetoes of Security Council resolutions related to Gaza and Palestine’s UN membership. It accused the U.S. of supplying weapons and military advice that contributed to civilian casualties in Gaza, alleging American involvement in what it termed as ongoing genocide.

“Following the anti-occupation operation Al-Aqsa Storm and subsequent extensive attacks by the Zionist regime against the oppressed and defenseless people of Gaza and the West Bank, the United States, through providing various supports and supplying lethal weapons, acted as the main partner in the actions and crimes of the Zionist regime, thwarting the international community's efforts to establish a ceasefire.”

The statement also noted the reports of direct involvement of American military personnel in the Zionist regime's war rooms and conflict zones; concluding that these instances practically confirm the U.S.'s responsibility in participating in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Concluding its assessment, the Iranian Foreign Ministry emphasized that the United States, under the pretext of protecting human rights, has instead justified illegal interventions globally, becoming, in its view, one of the world's most significant violators of human rights.

The ministry noted that its third report on “human rights violations in the world by the United States” aims to document instances of such violations, based on internationally recognized laws and norms.

Overall, the statement asserted that U.S. policies and actions in 2023 continued to violate fundamental human rights and support what it termed as gross violations globally.