Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, who represents Iran at the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, made remarks emphasizing that the United Nations Charter and the international legal system must protect the full integrity and national sovereignty of governments against destructive desires and rogue wills, which can endanger peace and global stability if they are not contained.
Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, who is in Brazil attending the 17th BRICS Summit—held under the slogan “Brazil: Peace, Security, and Reforming Global Governance”—made remarks addressing the attendees.
It is a source of honor for me to attend this important summit as the representative of His Excellency President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, who conveys his warm greetings to President Lula da Silva and all attendees.
I would like to express my deep appreciation to Brazil for the outstanding hospitality extended during the summit and for facilitating all necessary preparations.
Mr. President,
Distinguished attendees,
We are all representatives of countries that are, at the same time, members of the United Nations. We all acknowledge the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter—principles that were established to prevent war, prohibit the use of force, and resolve disputes peacefully, in order to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” Maintaining peace and security is the ultimate goal of the United Nations.
The UN Charter and the international legal system derived from it must safeguard the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of governments against destructive ambitions and rogue wills, which, if left unchecked, will endanger global peace and security.
Undoubtedly, peace and security are not only the prerequisites for our collective and sustainable development, but also essential conditions for the realization of a more just, humane, and secure international order.
BRICS, which was established on the principles of multilateralism, justice, and cooperation, and which upholds an international legal order based on the UN Charter, is now in a superior position to play a fundamental and irreplaceable role in the face of unprecedented violations and breaches of the fundamental principles of the Charter.
I would like to sincerely thank the esteemed members of BRICS who, fully aware of their grave responsibility towards international peace and security, have condemned the aggressive actions against my country by two nuclear-armed regimes since June 13.
Mr. President,
Dear colleagues,
As I stand here, the great people of Iran mourn the loss of their loved ones who were killed due to the unjust military aggression by the Israeli regime—a campaign that lasted 12 days and was carried out with the support, accompaniment, and ultimately participation of the United States.
I call upon everyone to fully understand the depth and enormity of this blatant lawlessness and the severely dangerous consequences of the continued impunity of the Israeli regime in occupation, apartheid, genocide, and warmongering in our region.
In the early hours of Friday, June 13, just two days before the sixth round of Iran-US nuclear negotiations, the Israeli regime launched brutal terrorist and military attacks against my country. Residential areas and military bases were targeted; commanders, soldiers, as well as a number of university professors and scientists, were ruthlessly assassinated; civilians, including children and women, were massacred. Our peaceful nuclear facilities—subject to strict oversight by the International Atomic Energy Agency—were attacked, and our public infrastructure, including several fuel production centers, were blown up.
The subsequent involvement of the United States in this aggression, through targeting Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities, left no doubt that the US government is fully complicit in the Israeli regime’s aggressive war against Iran.
Mr. President,
The Israeli regime’s aggression against Iran constitutes a blatant violation of Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the United Nations Charter and an act of aggression. During these illegal attacks, over 6,000 innocent people were killed or injured, and extensive damage was inflicted upon our infrastructure, residential areas, and nuclear facilities. But most gravely, this aggression dealt a deadly blow to diplomacy, the rule of law, and the non-proliferation regime (NPT). The attacks by the US and Israel on our nuclear facilities represent a flagrant violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and Security Council Resolution 2231, which unanimously endorsed Iran’s peaceful nuclear program in 2015. It must be emphasized that Iran’s nuclear program has always been entirely peaceful and under the strictest supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Mr. President,
What the Israeli regime and, subsequently, the United States have committed is an unprecedented violation of international peace. The fact that a developing, non-nuclear country has been targeted by two nuclear-armed regimes and supported by at least two other nuclear powers, which are permanent members of the Security Council, is catastrophic and deeply concerning.
No legal rule or logical principle justifies targeting peaceful nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards merely based on speculation about possible future military use. In fact, under international law—including IAEA Resolution 533 and Security Council Resolution 487—attacks on such facilities are absolutely prohibited.
Mr. President,
My nation stood resiliently and firmly against these blatant aggressions, and the attackers were forced to halt their assaults following the heroic resistance of our powerful armed forces. We will undoubtedly continue to defend ourselves with full strength against any future aggression.
However, the issue of insecurity in our region will not be resolved as long as the lawlessness and rebellion of the Israeli regime continue to be supported and encouraged by its backers and apologists.
It is regrettable that over the past two years, the international community has failed to take effective action to end the genocide of Palestinians and halt the Israeli occupation of neighboring Arab lands. In fact, the Israeli regime’s aggression against Iran is the product of the absolute impunity granted to it by the United States and some European countries to commit any crime in our region.
Distinguished delegations,
Our shared values—peace and justice—are under grave threat today. Every member of the United Nations has a duty to stand against this great injustice and to firmly condemn the Israeli regime’s aggression.
We must not allow facts and realities to be distorted by the Israeli regime and its supporters. The Israeli aggression against Iran is unjustifiable by any legal or moral standard. Any attempt to justify this cruel and criminal war would amount to complicity in it.
We are determined to document the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Israeli regime in its aggression against our country. The Israeli regime and the United States must be held accountable for violating international law, including human rights and humanitarian law.
We will not cease demanding justice and reparations.
We must remember that the consequences of this aggressive war will not be confined to one country. The entire region—and beyond—will suffer. But worst of all, the entire international legal system based on the United Nations Charter will be weakened and marginalized, replaced by lawlessness and destructive unilateralism.
This is a historic moment for human civilization—a moment when a civilized nation has become the target of a cruel and aggressive war by a regime that adheres neither to law nor ethics.
The global community, every country, all United Nations mechanisms, and every multilateral institution must act vigilantly and immediately to end impunity and hold the perpetrators accountable for endless crimes and blatant violations of international law in our region.
BRICS, as the recognized voice of the Global South, must play its role as a defender of international law and multilateralism by supporting the fundamental principles of the United Nations, including sovereign equality of nations, non-use of force, and peaceful resolution of disputes.
Thank you for your attention.
Iran, Russia FMs hold consultations in Brazil
The foreign ministers of Iran and Russia met and held consultations in Brazil on the sidelines of a BRICS meeting on Sunday.
According to statement issued by the Iranian foreign ministry, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Ministers of Iran and Russia, met on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and discussed and consulted on the latest developments in the region.
Araghchi warmly received by Lula da Silva in Rio de Janeiro
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was warmly received by Brazilian President Lula da Silva in Rio de Janeiro upon his arrival at the venue of the BRICS Summit in the city.
Araghchi is in the Brazilian city to take part in the BRICS Summit.
The meeting of the BRICS group, consisting of 11 countries—namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, UAE, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt—is scheduled to be held in two days.
This is the 17th summit of the heads of BRICS member states. The summit is being held under the slogan “Peace and Security and Reforming Global Governance.”
