The election of Iran to senior positions within the United Nations is a "disgrace" according to the body's Israeli representative.
The Iranian delegation to the UN has been given two new positions at the body, Vice President of UN General Assembly and Rapporteur to the Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Committee of the General Assembly.
The United States mission criticised the election, condemning the West Asian nation as unfit to serve in a committee whose purpose is “to address the very security problems that Tehran itself perpetuates.”
Speaking at the UN, US Ambassador Robert Wood said: “It is absurd beyond contemplation that Iran would serve in a position of leadership on the General Assembly’s committee on disarmament and international security.”
Wood cited the country’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, its support for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, and its export of “violence and weaponry to neighbouring countries, causing death and destruction from Syria to Iraq to Yemen."
As well as the UN’s disarmament committee, Iran was also elected on Thursday to serve as one of the Vice Presidents of the UN General Assembly, which was also condemned by the United States.
US Representative Chris Lu said: “Iran’s record, unfortunately, speaks for itself. It defies UN Security Council arms embargoes, violates the human rights of its own citizens, and exports violence and weapons, fostering insecurity and inciting violence throughout the Middle East and across the globe.”
Israel was the only other country to speak out against the development. Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan called the elections a “disgrace”.
On Twitter, Erdan wrote: “The Ayatollah regime in Iran is a threat to its citizens, the Middle East, and the world. It murders its own people, funds global terror, and is galloping toward a nuclear weapon at unprecedented speed.
“This regime must be stopped and sanctioned and should never have a role in the UN system. This election shows that the UN has reached a new low.”
As is usual for positions at the UN, the election was uncontested and the vote itself was unrecorded. Iran will assume both leadership positions beginning at the 78th session of the General Assembly in September.
Relations between Iran and the UK is currently frayed, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) continues to be sanctioned.
A FCDO spokesperson told the JC: "Iran is a persistent violator of human rights and a destabilising force in global security.
“They have no credibility in these areas and we make this clear at every opportunity, including at the UN."
