UN General Assembly enters fourth day
World leaders return to the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday...
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called on the European Union and neighbouring states to blame Israel and the U.S. over how the hostilities are impacting global markets and American assets in the region.
Araghchi, while speaking to EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas in a phone conversation, strongly criticised the “dishonest” approach of certain European countries towards aggression against Iran, state IRNA news agency reported on Thursday.
“He stated that any support or appeasement towards the blatant lawlessness of these two regimes would be tantamount to complicity in the crimes they have committed against the Iranian nation,” he was quoted as saying in a Foreign Ministry statement.
“If the EU and European countries are concerned about peace and security in the region, they should seek to exert pressure on the aggressors and stop their military aggression against the Iranian nation, instead of adopting irresponsible positions.” the statement added.
Araghchi also said that the disruption of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz is the result of the war imposed by the United States and Israel.
The European Council is set to meet on Thursday to discuss the impact of the Middle East conflict on global oil prices, as well as a loan to Ukraine, which has so far been blocked by Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán.
A delegation from China is also scheduled to meet European leaders in the coming week to discuss the Iranian war and blockage of the Strait of Hormuz.
Also in separate telephone calls with the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt and Pakistan, he said that the attack on Iranian infrastructure in South Pars gas field on Wednesday (18 March) was an act “aimed at escalating regional tension” stressing that Iran will spare no effort in defending national sovereignty and the security of its citizens.
“In these talks, he stated that the attack on Iran's infrastructure by the US and the Zionist regime is an act aimed at escalating tensions and destabilising the region,” he added, stressing the need for "vigilance and coordination among regional countries in response to these threats,” IRNA reported.
In New York, Iran’s Ambassador at the UN Headquarters Amir-Saeid Iravani slammed Israel-U.S. attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure and condemned the assassinations of senior Iranian officials, demanding accountability.
In a letter to the UN Secretary-General, the President of the Security Council, and the President of the General Assembly, Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations formally protested to the missile strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field, according to WANA news agency.
He described recent attacks on Iranian energy facilities as a “gross and serious violation of international law, including the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.”
In a separate letter, Iravani protested against the targeted assassinations of National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, Minister of Intelligence Esmail Khatib, and their associates, attributing the attacks to Israel.
“If unchecked, such practices would extend beyond Iran, threatening leaders and governments worldwide,” read the letter.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low on Thursday, as Iran reiterated that it will neither enter into new negotiations with the United States nor re-open the Strait as long as its conditions are not met, despite recent indirect talks in New York mediated by Qatar.
As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meeting in New York, Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Thursday with ballistic missiles, killing two people and injuring six, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
The 81st UN General Assembly continues in New York on Wednesday, with another day of high-level speeches and diplomatic meetings. The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and international cooperation remain at the centre of discussions.
The 81st UN General Assembly has wrapped up its third day in New York on Thursday, with world leaders delivering high-level speeches and holding diplomatic meetings.
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan will hold an urgent high-level meeting under a joint defence pact to discuss ways to support the kingdom amid attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis. The meeting comes as Tehran seeks to distance itself from the rapid advance of its Houthi allies.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan held talks on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. They discussed progress towards peace and the development of economic and transport links between the two countries.
Fourteen Kazakh military personnel died after being swept out to sea during a naval training exercise in the western Mangistau region, authorities said on Thursday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mounted a forceful defence of Israel's actions in the region at the United Nations on Thursday, seeking to counter growing international isolation ahead of elections he could lose, as dozens of delegates streamed out.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated again, with Pakistani security sources saying its troops thwarted an attempted Afghan Taliban attack in the Gulistan sector of Balochistan on Thursday, along Pakistan’s western border with Afghanistan, killing several Taliban fighters.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze used his address to the UN General Assembly's 81st session in New York this week to make a two-part case: that Georgia is becoming an indispensable regional hub, and that it remains open to repairing ties with international partners.
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