Envoy Refutes Allegations Linking Iran to Red Sea Incidents

In a letter to President of the UN Security Council Nicolas de Riviere and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on January 8, Saeed Iravani condemned the baseless accusations that the representatives of the US and the Israeli regime have leveled against Iran by abusing the Security Council platform.

He also cautioned against any provocative or irresponsible actions by the United States that may endanger regional peace and security.

What follows is the text of his letter:

Excellency,

I am writing to you regarding the UN Security Council's recent open briefing on the situation in the Red Sea, held on 3 January 2024, under the agenda item "Maintenance of International Peace and Security" (S/2024/9525). During this meeting, representatives from the United States and the Israeli regime once again abused the Security Council platform to level baseless accusations against the Islamic Republic of Iran, going further as to disseminate intentional falsehoods and disinformation. In this regard, I would like to emphasize the following:

1) The Islamic Republic of Iran unequivocally condemns and categorically rejects the unfounded allegations made at the meeting. The allegations are unsubstantiated and lack evidence. The Islamic Republic of Iran has always placed great importance on maritime security and freedom of navigation and reaffirms its unwavering commitment to upholding its international obligations and maintaining peace and security in the region.

2) The purpose of the US and the Israeli regime to make such baseless accusations is clear: to divert international attention away from the root causes of the current situation in the Red Sea, namely the ongoing genocide and barbaric massacres that are being committed by the Israeli regime and fully supported by the US against the innocent Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, as well as their participation in coordinated military aggressions and malevolent activities against other nations in the region.

3) The United States cannot deny or cover up the incontestable reality that recent incidents in the Red Sea are directly related to Israel's continued atrocities against the Palestinian people in Gaza. The United States and the Israeli regime bear full responsibility for the reprehensible crimes unfolding in occupied Palestine. The severity of the Israeli regime's war crime and crime of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza has been indisputably documented by the United Nations, international organizations, and human rights institutions, marking it as the most extensively recorded genocide in modern history.

4) Instead of taking decisive action to curb these severe violations, the United States not only stands by the Israeli regime but also actively contributes by providing the occupying regime with substantial military support and diplomatic cover. By preventing the Security Council from carrying out its Charter duties, which contradicts international calls to end the Israeli slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza, the US is now pushing for a Security Council resolution purportedly focusing on the rights and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. However, the primary objective is to legitimize the so-called "international maritime coalition" led by Washington to serve its regional political goals and give the necessary shield to Israel to continue its war crimes and atrocities in Gaza. Consequently, the US assertions of the so-called “Navigational Rights and Freedoms of Vessels of All States in the Red Sea” are only viewed as a cynical attempt to distract from the grim reality of the ongoing atrocities and genocide in Palestine.

5) Cautioning against any provocative or irresponsible actions by the United States that may endanger regional peace and security, the Islamic Republic of Iran urges the Security Council to uphold its responsibilities to address the causes of the current situation in the Red Sea. In this regard, the Security Council must take decisive measures to compel the Israeli regime to halt its bloodshed, cease its aggressive acts, and steadfastly adhere to its international obligations under humanitarian and human rights laws. Furthermore, the Security Council must compel the occupying regime to fully implement Resolutions 2712 and 2720, which are considered the bare minimum requirements for facilitating and ensuring the prompt, secure, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip.      

I would be grateful if you would circulate the present letter as a document of the Security Council.