The delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran issued a statement on the exercise of the right of reply during the UNGA General Debate in response to the statement by the delegation of the Israeli regime on September 22, 2023.

The full text of the statement is as follows:

Mr. Chair,

I am taking the floor to exercise the right of reply in response to the statement by the prime minister of the Israeli regime during this morning’s General Debate.

Before addressing those remarks, my delegation would like to extend its great appreciation to the Protocol and Security Officers of the UN GA Hall, who, in line with their duties, immediately responded to arrest and expel the so-called ambassador of the Israeli regime who was hell-bent on disrupting the High-level General Debate Tuesday afternoon. The dedication of these officers is a model for the UN body, and for us all, to never compromise enforcing the law on criminals, as the international community—and primarily the Security Council—have in addressing the dark record of brutalities and wrongdoings by the Israeli regime.  

Further, what we heard today from the Israeli prime minister is nothing but floundering by a totally isolated regime. The baseless allegations made by Israeli officials no longer fool anyone. Iran-phobic campaigns and widespread systematic dissemination of disinformation and unfounded allegations against Iran have always been one of the main elements of statements—or better to say, comedy shows—made by the Israeli authorities in this august body.

The Islamic Republic of Iran categorically rejects and strongly condemns unfounded and unsubstantiated claims levelled against it, including those regarding Iran’s involvement in or attribution of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used in the Ukraine war. Such baseless allegations, which are solely based on false flags and fabricated assumptions, are nothing more than a propaganda apparatus launched by certain States to further their political agenda.

Indeed, the Israeli regime desperately attempts to distract attention away from its dark and long record in harboring, financing, inducing, and arming the most dangerous terrorist networks, disseminating hate speech and extremist ideology, pursuing destabilizing policies and practices, and continuing to commit crimes for over seven decades against the Palestinians, in flagrant violation of the basic principles of morality, humanity and the rules of international law.

Possessing all types of weapons of mass destruction, the Israeli regime continues to endanger peace and security in the region and beyond, while brazenly defying constant international calls to join legally-binding international instruments banning weapons of mass destruction. As such, the regime continues to seriously hamper the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East – proposed by Iran in 1974.

Nevertheless, the regime attempts to portray Iran’s conventional weapon capabilities or its exclusively peaceful nuclear program, one that is under the most robust verification of the International Atomic Energy Agency, as a challenge to regional stability. This is but a hypocritical move to distract from the real danger this regime poses to regional peace and security, particularly its nuclear-weapon arsenals, clandestine and unsafeguarded nuclear installations and activities.

Further, the Israeli regime has taken advantage of every opportunity to threaten the use of force against other UN Members of the United Nations. The representative of this regime has now abused this high-level meeting in a flagrant violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, threatening to use force against my country by its military capabilities, including its nuclear weapons.

It should be noted that the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its inherent right to self-defense, under international law and the United Nations Charter, to decisively respond to any threat or wrongful act perpetrated by the Israeli regime.

It cannot be ignored that the Israeli occupation and racism lie at the heart of all conflicts in the Middle East. The repulsive Israeli occupation has brought many crises and instability throughout the region. As such, it is ironic that the prime minister of the Israeli regime spoke about developing a regional peace initiative while his bloodthirsty regime plans to annex even more of the already occupied Palestinian territories.

It goes without saying that the Israeli regime, the last of apartheid regimes, and the only openly practicing and legalizing racism, seeks to ride the wave towards international legitimacy. It is a dreadfully regressive regime pretending to be progressive. Suffering from the lack of international legitimacy, the Israeli regime’s representative addresses every irrelevant issue to distract attention from its political motives behind its racist policies.

Condemning, in the strongest possible terms, all crimes of the Israeli regime against Palestinians, the Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates its support for the just cause of the Palestinian people and the full realization of all their inalienable rights, particularly their inherent right to self-determination, and to establish an independent Palestinian State throughout Palestine, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

The United Nations must put an immediate end to this unjustifiable and unacceptable trend and compel the Israeli regime to cease, immediately and completely, all its crimes against Palestinians; remove the unlawful and inhumane blockade of the Gaza Strip; end the occupation of all Palestinian territories, the occupied Syrian Golan and parts of Lebanon; and, to hold that regime accountable for committing the gravest international crimes for over several decades.