Confronting Occupation Rooted in Int’l Law: Iran’s FM
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian described the Hamas resistance movement as a Palestinian liberation movement that has acted against the Israeli regime’s vicious occupation.
As per international law, this right is granted to any liberation movement whose country or parts of its territory have been occupied, Amirabdollahian said, speaking to reporters upon his arrival in New York to attend a Thursday session of the United Nations General Assembly amid Israel's unrelenting bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which started on October 7.
"Therefore, whatever concerning the action of the resistance groups and Palestinian liberation groups in confronting the occupation is completely rooted in international law and the United Nations Charter," the top Iranian diplomat said.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Amirabdollahian said Iran’s mission to the UN played a very active role in preventing a lopsided US draft resolution on the ongoing war on Gaza, citing its failure to address stability, security and peace in the region.
“The key point is that our mission in New York worked actively (to prevent the adoption of the resolution) as with regard to the text of the US proposed resolution, our specific objectives securing stability, security and peace were overlooked in it,” he explained, Press TV reported.
He noted that Russia, the US and Brazil have separately proposed resolutions on the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
Russia and China on Wednesday vetoed a US-drafted UN Security Council resolution that had said Israel, which has killed more than 7,000 people as part of its ongoing war on Gaza, has been acting in "self-defense."
The United Arab Emirates also voted no, while 10 members voted in favor and Brazil and Mozambique abstained.
After the failure of the US resolution, the Security Council voted on a Russian-drafted text that had called for a humanitarian ceasefire and urged Tel Aviv to immediately cancel its orders on Palestinian civilians to head into southern Gaza.
It was Moscow’s second attempt, but the effort secured only four votes.
Only Russia, China, the UAE, and Gabon voted in favor of the draft, while nine members abstained and the United States and Britain voted no.
A resolution needs at least nine votes and no vetoes by the permanent members, namely the US, France, Britain, Russia and China, to be adopted.
With the UN Security Council deadlock, the 193-member UN General Assembly will vote on Friday on a draft resolution put forward by Arab states and others calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Israel launched the devastating war on October 7 after the Gaza Strip-based Palestinian resistance groups staged Operation al-Aqsa Storm, a surprise attack on the occupied territories, in response to the Israeli regime’s intensified crimes against the Palestinian people. The war has killed 7,165 Palestinians, including nearly 3,000 children and more than 1,300 women, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
The Iranian foreign minister added that he had discussed the US draft resolution with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Tehran two days ago while he held consultations with China as well.
"What matters to us is the immediate cessation of war crimes and genocide against the civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, the immediate and extensive dispatch of humanitarian aid, and stopping the forced displacement of Gaza residents, which can be included in the text of any resolution," the top Iranian diplomat said.
