So spoke Abbas Araghchi

The Iranian Foreign Minister's speeches at the High-Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament and at the 58th session of the UNHRC in Geneva, exposing Western double standards.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi - from IRNA.

We often hear unfounded allegations against Iran of building atomic bombs, especially from Western governments and mainstream media (MSM), but we rarely hear about the Little Satan’s (a.k.a. Israel) nuclear weapons. Actually, we know that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) carries out regular inspections of nuclear sites in Iran, but we never hear about IAEA inspections in Israel, which - by the way - is not a party of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (a.k.a. Non-Proliferation Treaty - NPT), unlike Iran! However, yesterday (Monday 24th February 2025) Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addressed exactly this issue at the Conference on Disarmament High-level Segment at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in Geneva, dotting the i's and crossing the t's. Both IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency of Iran) and Al Mayadeen reported only some excerpts, but Iranian Tasnim News Agency quoted Araghchi’s speech in full (all emphasis mine):

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

Thank you, Madam. President,

It is an honour to speak on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran before the Conference on Disarmament’s High-Level Segment, and I congratulate you and Japan for assuming the presidency of the Conference on Disarmament.

The threatening spread of armed conflicts against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions is plaguing our world into further turbulence. Regrettably, we are witnessing increasing resort to the use or threat of force, military interventions, unilateral coercive measures, and political pressure, in disregard to the longstanding commitments to disarmament and arms control. This is an alarming trend that must be reversed immediately.

In practical terms, the current state of international peace and security reflects a complex and fragile global landscape marked by rising geopolitical tensions, ongoing conflicts, the qualitative and quantitative proliferation by certain nuclear weapon States, and the persistent threat of the use of nuclear weapons. Global military spending has reached unprecedented levels, underscoring the growing militarization of international relations. At the same time, nuclear arsenals remain significant, with over 12000 nuclear weapons in the stockpiles.

In this context, the destruction inflicted by the Israeli regime in the occupied Palestinian territory represents the most horrifying recorded case of aggression, genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in the 21st century, which no human conscience should tolerate. The Israeli regime has unleashed an unparalleled degree of suffering and untold sorrow which the UN Charter was meant to prevent. This illegal war has ruined Gaza and over 46000, mostly children, women, and elderly have lost their lives. Never ever, such high numbers of journalists, health workers, and UN staff were killed in an armed conflict. The deliberate war crimes, ethnic cleansing, mass starvation, and collective punishment exercised by the Israeli regime shall not remain unpunished.

Madam President,

These days’ concern about threats that “multilateralism” is facing seems to be now one of the most frequent issues raised by many around the world, but still it appears to be far from understanding of many nations how big the threat of unilateralism is and how adversely it is affecting our daily lives.

We need to realize the dangerous consequences of unilateralism for international peace and security and should not let it become normalized.

The UN was established to save the succeeding generations from the war. In so doing, the UN founders committed themselves to a set of high principles and purposes that could only be safeguarded and promoted through collective cooperation and collaboration. Unilateralism indeed is terminology for lawlessness and extreme resort to power which pose a serious threat to international peace and security.

Despite the increasing likelihood of a nuclear war, driven mainly by modernization efforts and an escalating nuclear arms race, nuclear-weapon States, in particular the United States, are significantly increasing their budgets for nuclear weapons programs. Simultaneously, countries like the United Kingdom are expanding their nuclear stockpiles and lowering the threshold for possible nuclear weapon use.

To exacerbate the current state of affairs, in addition to the erosion of key nuclear arms control agreements, there is widespread non-compliance with legally binding obligations related to nuclear disarmament, particularly under Article VI of the NPT and their commitments under the Treaty's 2000 and 2010 Review Conferences. Regrettably, there is no promising prospect for change in the foreseeable future. The international community rightfully expects the nuclear-weapon States to be held accountable for their obligations. In the wake of the failures of the 2015 and 2022 NPT Review Conferences, the success of the next Conference hinges upon the political will of the nuclear-weapon States.

Nuclear weapons continue to be an existential threat to humanity. Their use would result in catastrophic humanitarian and environmental consequences. Therefore, nuclear disarmament must be accorded the highest priority of the United Nations, as agreed in the first United Nations Special Session on Disarmament (SSOD-I).

To this end, the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons must remain a taboo. The only guaranteed safeguard against their use or threat lies in their complete and verifiable elimination, accompanied by legally binding assurances of non-production, avoidance of nuclear sharing, as well as non-formation of nuclear military alliances.

It is worth mentioning that notions such as “nuclear risk reduction” or similar initiatives should not serve as an excuse to delay or substitute the fulfilment of absolute legal obligations.

At a regional level, the weapons of mass destruction [WMD] including nuclear weapons possessed by the Israeli regime continue to pose a grave threat to regional and global peace and security. It obstructs the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East initiated by Iran in 1974 and continues to threaten others with nuclear annihilation. A vivid example of this regime’s outlawed action was the evil suggestion of using nuclear weapons against the people in Gaza, claimed by several Israeli authorities. We categorically condemn this illegitimate, illegal, and irresponsible action and position. The international community must hold this regime accountable, demanding that it renounce the possession of nuclear weapons, accede to the NPT as a non-nuclear-weapon party, and subject all its nuclear facilities and activities to the comprehensive IAEA safeguards.

Undoubtedly, the same strong attention is needed towards chemical and biological weapons. It is noteworthy to add that we are concerned about the threat posed by the use of these two types of weapons by terrorists or the Israeli regime, which is not a Party to either of the Conventions.

Furthermore, we must not overlook the perils posed by new technologies, as these have the potential to disrupt global stability and security.

As some have weaponized outer space and cyberspace, we reiterate our steadfast position on their exclusively peaceful use. Legally binding instruments must be established to ensure their exclusive dedication to peaceful purposes. In addition, any attempts to interpret or impose unilateral coercive measures that infringe on the inalienable rights of states in these domains must be avoided.

Iran remains fully committed to implementing its international commitments. Last year, our presidency of the Conference on Disarmament [CD], in collaboration with member states, did help overcome the chronic impasse on the Program of Work through new ideas. At the beginning of this year, I was delighted to see the extent of fruitful collaboration among the member states, and I hope this cooperation will lead the CD to a long-overdue successful step.

Madam President,

The world stands at a critical juncture where peace, disarmament, and international cooperation must prevail over the destructive forces of armed violence and the proliferation of WMDs. In this context, achieving meaningful progress in international peace and security requires balancing national interests with collective responsibilities. Iran’s participation in global non-proliferation efforts hinges on addressing its legitimate security concerns while ensuring compliance with its international commitments. We call upon the international community to unite in a collective effort to ensure a safer world, and we are ready to play our constructive role in achieving this lofty goal. We owe this to our future generations.

I thank you, Madam President.

In just a few minutes, Araghchi exposed all Western double-standards!

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi - from IRNA.

Yesterday Abbas Araghchi intervened also at the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, as reported by IRNA and in two articles (1 and 2) by Tasnim News Agency, which quoted him as saying (all emphasis mine):

For decades, the Iranian people have faced grave challenges, including unjust economic sanctions and terrorism, which have had many a devastating impact on their social and economic rights.

One of the greatest obstacles to the realization of human rights at the global level is the recourse to unilateral coercive measures. Such measures have destructive ramifications on ordinary people while oppressively affecting the more vulnerable groups.

Iran has long fallen victim to such misguided policies [which] not only violate the fundamental human rights of the Iranian people but also inflict suffering on millions of innocent individuals.

Iran unequivocally condemns the genocide perpetrated by the occupying regime in Gaza.

The Palestinian people continue to suffer from genocide, systemic violence, occupation, dehumanization, and violations of the right to life.

We strongly condemn any statements or actions on the side of these plots and register our opposition thereto. [Referring to US President Donald J. Trump’s plans of the forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza]

At the same time, we believe that human rights may not be used as a leverage of political and economic pressure or interference in the internal affairs of countries.

Experience has shown that certain states use the present institution as a tool to advance their own agendas.

Western hypocrisy exposed again!

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) and Abbas Araghchi (R) - from IRNA.

Abbas Araghchi touched upon the WMD topic again today, when he met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Tehran. The former was quoted by IRNA as saying:

We will coordinate our positions on the nuclear issue in cooperation with our friends in Russia and China. Iran’s stance on the nuclear negotiations is crystal clear: We will not negotiate under pressure, threat, or sanctions. [Referring to Trump’s “maximum pressure policy” on Iran - see this article for more context]

Therefore, there will be no possibility of direct negotiations between us and the United States on the nuclear issue as long as “maximum pressure” is enforced in its current form.

Former US President Joe Biden - from IRNA.

I will conclude this article with the news that US-based Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) human rights organization submitted a detailed 172-page report to the International Criminal Court (ICC), asking its prosecutor Karim Khan to investigate former US President Joe Biden and his top officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, as per IRNA, which quoted Reed Brody, a DAWN board member and experienced war crimes lawyer, as saying:

There are solid grounds to investigate Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, and Lloyd Austin for complicity in Israel’s crimes.

According to the DAWN report, prepared with the help of lawyers and war crimes experts, “the Biden administration officials made deliberate decisions to provide significant military and political support to Israel, including $17.9 billion in weapons sales, contributing to war crimes in Gaza”.

Of course, you never hear such news on Western MSM!

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