Iran takes part in UNSC session on Gaza in New York

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is going to attend a UNSC ministerial session in New York on Monday to discuss the latest developments in West Asia, particularly in Palestine.

News ID: 5767

Date: 13 January 2025 - 14:34

TABNAK, Jan 13: Speaking at his weekly press conference in Tehran on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the “important” meeting will focus on the continuation of the Israeli regime’s genocide in the Gaza Strip.

He pointed to Israel’s blatant genocide in Gaza and across Palestine over the past 16 months, saying that the world has been witnessing a bitter reality amid the international community’s inaction.

It is shameful that the world and international organizations have failed to fulfill their duty due to the support of the countries that have taken the Security Council hostage and their arms aid to the occupying regime.

However, the Iranian spokesperson emphasized, the world unanimously believes that a “crime of genocide” has been carried out against the Palestinian people and that the perpetrators of such criminal acts must be confronted.

Baghaei expressed hope that new movements will begin and countries will call for a complete halt to the crimes against people in Gaza.

Israel launched a genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Flood into the occupied territories over the regime’s intensified violence against the Palestinian people.

The regime’s bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed at least 46,584 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 109,731 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

Iran summons French ambassador over hosting terrorists

In response to a question about French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent anti-Iran allegations, Baghaei expressed hope that Paris would adopt an “independent and constructive” approach to regional developments.

He noted that Iran has taken a timely reaction against the positions taken in recent days, dismissing as baseless the allegations leveled at the country’s nuclear program.

“These accusations have been made for 20 years without any legal basis,” Baghaei explained.

Macron on Monday accused Iran of being the main strategic and security challenge for France and Europe, citing the acceleration of the country’s nuclear program and its alleged support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The French president claimed, “The acceleration of the nuclear program leads us nearly to the point of no return.”

Baghaei added that Iran’s Foreign Ministry has also summoned the French ambassador to Tehran to protest Paris’s hosting of terrorist groups.

It is a legal obligation of the United Nations to refuse to host terrorist groups, the Iranian diplomat said, emphasizing that dividing terrorism into good and bad promotes lawlessness in the world.

Iran stresses need to preserve Syria security, stability

The Iranian spokesman stressed the importance of preserving Syria’s security and stability.

“In our view, we support any process that helps stabilize the situation in Syria, supports a safe and secure transition process, and prevents violation of Syria’s national sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity,” Baghaei said.

Iran always gives priority to sanctions removal

In response to a question about a fresh round of talks, which are scheduled to convene between Iran and Europe in Geneva, the spokesman said Tehran has always given priority to having the sanctions terminated.

“However, we have learned that we should improve our power to minimize the impacts of the sanctions,” Baghaei emphasized.

He noted that the Geneva meeting is primarily aimed at discussing the lifting of illegal sanctions against Iran but other topics will also be raised.

Iran and the European trio of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany (E3) have been conducting on-again, off-again talks since 2021, three years after the United States illegally and unilaterally left a historic nuclear accord between Iran and world powers under its former president Donald Trump, returning Washington’s unlawful sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

The three European parties to the nuclear deal – officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – then failed to live up to their promise of bringing Washington back into the deal.

Reacting to the counter-party’s non-commitment to its obligations, Tehran initiated a set of retaliatory nuclear steps, including activating more advanced centrifuges.

The country has been stepping up the measures in response to the other parties’ continued refusal to uphold their obligations.

Earlier this year, the European states forwarded an anti-Iranian resolution that had been proposed by the US, to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which was approved by the board.

Iran expresses sympathy with victims of Los Angeles wildfires

Baghaei said Iranian officials have expressed their sympathy with the victims of massive wildfires in Los Angeles.

He added that Iran’s Interests Section in the US has issued a statement, voicing its readiness to provide any consular aid to Iranian nationals.

In an update on Sunday evening, the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner said a total of 24 people have died due to the wildfires.

According to the examiner, this number is only an estimate as hundreds of people in various parts of the county are still missing.