In an address to a meeting of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly’s Sixth Committee (Legal Committee) on Tuesday, Gholam-Ali Khoshroo said the world had to act “immediately and decisively” in the face of such US threats.

“Each and every member of the UN has a duty to stand up to US wrongful acts and contempt for the rule of law in international relations,” he said.

The senior diplomat said Washington’s measures all constitute instances of “unilateralism,” adding, “Today, multilateralism has come under attack.”

Khoshroo called the US’s sanctions and its departure from international agreements -- such as the 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement with Iran -- a “serious threat” to the UN Charter and a violation of the international legal order.

For the first time in the UN’s history, the US, as a permanent veto-holding member, is punishing other nations the world over for their adherence to the UN Security Council resolution, the envoy noted.

He was referring to a US pressure campaign aimed at killing Europe’s business ties with Iran after Washington scrapped the 2015 nuclear deal, which had been ratified in the form of Security Council Resolution 2231.

After leaving the deal and starting to re-impose the anti-Tehran sanctions it had lifted under the international document, Washington began threatening the countries continuing to do business with Iran despite the bans with “secondary sanctions.”

“How can Iran and others trust the US while it is threatening to punish other countries for the implementation of the UN Security Council resolution it sponsored and voted for?” said Khoshroo.

“A permanent member of the UN Security Council is asking others to violate the Security Council resolution; there is no precedent for such a move,” the Iranian official added.
The diplomat also warned the intentional community against the repercussions of such US policies.
  The envoy referenced the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling in response to legal action taken by Iran against the American sanctions, saying the ruling against Washington was itself another proof that the sanctions were illegal.

He also denounced the US for “unlawfully” seizing billions of dollars worth of assets belonging to the Iranian government and Central Bank, describing the move as a blatant violation of international law.
The ICJ, Khoshroo added, would soon look into that matter.

/SR