Iran denounces Ukraine presence in UNSC meeting on JCPOA

“We strongly object to the Presidency of the Council extending an invitation to a member state that has no direct or indirect relevance to the agenda item of this meeting. We perceive this action as neither constructive nor in good faith. Instead, it appears to be a cynical attempt to divert attention from the pressing matter at hand — the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – and the failure of certain Western parties to fulfill their obligations under the agreement,” Amir Saied Iravani said in New York on Thursday as he addressed the United Nations Security Council session on “Non-Proliferation: Implementation of Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015).”

He underscored that the Security Council meeting and Resolution 2231 have no connection whatsoever to the conflict in Ukraine.

“The invitation extended to the representative of Ukraine [Sergiy Kyslytsya] for this meeting represents an abuse of the process and a misuse of the Council's presidency, serving the political agendas of certain states. Moreover, this action flagrantly contradicts established practices of the Council and its provisional rules of procedure and runs counter to the principles outlined in the UN Charter,” the Iranian diplomat said.

Iravani categorically rejected Kyiv’s unfounded allegations that Russia has employed Iranian military drones in the war in Ukraine.

“Iran maintains its impartial stance on the Ukrainian conflict. We have patiently awaited the alleged evidence from Ukraine, following the preliminary meeting between Iranian and Ukrainian experts. If the intention is truly to address and resolve the issue at hand, it is crucial to refrain from employing illegal and politically-motivated measures. Instead, Iran's request should be acknowledged and earnestly addressed in a constructive manner,” he said.

Iravani censured Ukraine and the United Kingdom over the abuse of UN procedures as unprofessional, deceptive, and unconstructive, emphasizing that the so-called documents presented by the Ukrainian envoy as evidence of alleged Iran’s violations entail inconsistent photos and questionable “open-source” information.

“It is quite evident that certain Council members are deliberately attempting to divert international attention away from the root causes of the current situation concerning the implementation of the JCPOA and the ongoing material violations of Resolution 2231 by the United States since its illegitimate withdrawal from the agreement in 2018.

“We firmly declare that we do not recognize the presence of Ukraine in this meeting, and we have no intention of addressing the baseless allegations put forth by the representative of Ukraine or certain member states against my country during this meeting regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine,” the senior Iranian diplomat stated.

“If a party should be blamed for the JCPOA’s current situation, it is the United States for its 2018 illegal unilateral withdrawal therefrom and re-imposition of all its sanctions against Iran based on its notorious and yet failed “maximum pressure policy,” Iravani said.

He stressed that the three European signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal – Britain, France and German – and the European Union must also be blamed for significant non-performance with their explicit legal obligations under the JCPOA and Resolution 2231.

“Since then, the United States has expressly and aggressively forced all other UN member states to either violate Resolution 2231 or face severe punishment.”