DUBAI, Sept 5 — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused US President Donald Trump today of planning to “abuse” the presidency of the UN Security Council to criticise Tehran, Washington’s arch-foe.
US Ambassador Nikki Haley said yesterday that Trump would chair a UN Security Council meeting on Iran this month to spotlight its “violations of international law” during the annual gathering of world leaders in New York.
“(Trump) plans to abuse presidency of SC (Security Council) to divert a session ... to blame Iran for horrors US & clients have unleashed across M.E. (Middle East) #chutzpah,” Zarif wrote in his tweet.
The United States, which holds the council presidency for September, has unsuccessfully pushed the Security Council to call out Iran. Haley has regularly attacked Iran, accusing it of meddling in the wars in Syria and Yemen.
Haley told reporters Trump was chairing the meeting “to address Iran’s violations of international law and the general instability Iran sows throughout the entire Middle East region.”
“There’s only one UNSC resolution on Iran. .@realDonaldTrump is violating it & bullying others to do same,” Zarif wrote, referring to a 2015 resolution linked to Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, from which Trump has withdrawn.
Trump in May withdrew from the accord aimed at stalling Tehran’s nuclear capabilities in return for lifting some sanctions, and ordered the re-imposition of US sanctions suspended under the deal.
Iran is still subject to a UN arms embargo and other restrictions contained in the resolution, which enshrines the nuclear deal. European powers have been scrambling to salvage the accord.
In February, Russia vetoed a US-led bid for the Security Council to call out Tehran for failing to prevent its weapons from falling into the hands of Yemen’s Houthi group, a charge Tehran denies. — Reuters
