"Unilateral measures, either in the form of illegal recourse to war, occupation,
aggression or denying the sovereignty of member states or waiving the immunity
of states under an unsubstantiated legal doctrine, are obvious manifestations of
the rule of power, not the rule of law," Gholamali Khoshroo, Iran's ambassador
to the UN, told a Security Council meeting on Thursday.
Khoshroo said US President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal
and his recent decision to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem al-Quds,
which was followed by a deadly crackdown on Palestinian protesters, were two
glaring examples of such "internationally wrongful acts."
Iran nuclear deal
Earlier this month, Trump pulled out his country from the 2015 nuclear deal
between Iran and the P5+1 group -- the US, Britain, France, China, Russia and
Germany -- over claims that it did not curb Iran's missile program and its
regional influence.
The decision violated a UNSC resolution that endorsed the deal, and went against
numerous confirmations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of
Iran's compliance with the accord.
Khoshroo said the decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action (JCPOA) and to re-impose all nuclear-related sanctions against Tehran was
yet another "material breach" of the deal by Washington.
Previous violations included "bad faith nominal implementation, undue delays,
new sanctions and designations, derogatory anti-JCPOA statements, refusal to
issue necessary licenses particularly in the last 16 months as well as
systematic and concerted efforts to sabotage the deal by actively dissuading
others to do business with Iran," the Iranian envoy added.
Khoshroo said Trump's move "is a regress to the failed and disastrous era of
unilateralism, and encourages illegality."
'Illegal' embassy move
The Iranian envoy, who was addressing a UNSC open debate titled "Upholding
International Law Within the Context of the Maintenance of International Peace
and Security”, said Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
basically "ridiculed" international law by moving the US diplomatic mission to
Jerusalem al-Quds earlier this week.
"On May 14, Netanyahu and his guests celebrated the illegal move of the US
embassy to Jerusalem al-Quds, violating and ridiculing international law as well
as many UN resolutions regarding the situation of Jerusalem and inalienable
rights of the Palestinians," he argued.
Referring to the Israeli military's massacre of more than 60 people who
protested the move in Gaza on the same day, Khoshroo called for an end to the
Israeli regime's "total impunity" in carrying out such acts.
The move, Khoshroo said, was a "shameful violation" of the international human
rights law.
"The violators shall be compelled to bear the responsibility for their wrongful
acts," he asserted.
Source: Press TV