Amir Saeid Iravani made the remarks in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after the US imposed “illegal” restrictions on the freedom of movement of the Iranian delegation’s members, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who travelled to New York to participate in the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly.
The US “has limited their movement to a very confined area of less than half a mile radius from the United Nations Headquarters” and subjected travel and movements outside the perimeter and routes imposed, to the submission of a prior “request”, along with “appropriate justifications” to the US authorities and subsequent approval on the part of the US.
“Over the recent days, these impediments have prevented the Iranian delegation from attending several meetings convened outside the perimeter imposed by the Host Country,” the letter said.
Washington also “imposed further unlawful restrictions to interfere with the inviolability and privacy of Iranian representatives by requiring submission of request for purchase of essentials from certain stores and divulge their ordinary purchases, their usage and type, etc. to the Host Country.”
The Iranian envoy noted that the “unjustified” restrictions comes as part of “other internationally wrongful acts” of the US under the so-called "maximum pressure", including anti-Iran strikes committed last June and unilateral sanctions imposed against Tehran.
“Either by aggression or unilateral coercive measures, the sole objective of the United States has been to weaken the rule of law at the international level and undermine the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.”
He added that the US “has further abused its privilege of hosting the United Nations to disseminate disinformation against the Iranian delegation through defamatory false rhetoric.”
Iravani stressed that the Host Country “could not derogate from its obligations due to its bilateral political consideration”, adding that “the illegal restrictions constitute an aggravated breach of its obligations” under relevant international law.
Noting that such actions “hinder the efficient performance of functions of representatives”, the envoy urged the UN chief “to urgently take appropriate measures in this respect and discharge his mandates to ensure that impediments are terminated forthwith and that obligations of the Host Country are fully implemented.”
Press TV