Envoy: US Naval Blockade Against Iran Constitutes ‘War Crime’
Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva Ali Bahraini has cautioned against the humanitarian impact of the US naval blockade against the Islamic Republic, stressing that it amounts to “a war crime”.
In a letter addressed to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, the Iranian diplomat stressed that this "unilateral naval blockade", which is being imposed within the framework of unilateral coercive measures and as part of an ongoing pressure campaign against Iran, has had widespread humanitarian impact. He warned that if this blockade continues, it will seriously threaten the fundamental rights of the Iranian people, including the right to development, access to basic goods and services, as well as the right to health and access to medical equipment. Bahraini emphasized that this naval blockade violates the principles of international law and “constitutes a war crime” due to its severe impact on civilians, including depriving them of food and essential goods.
Iran has shut down the Strait of Hormuz to its enemies and their allies since the onset of the war in late February. Iranian authorities introduced much stricter controls last month after US President Donald Trump announced a blockade targeting Iranian vessels and ports. Tehran stresses that the measures violate the terms of a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire that took effect in early April and was later extended unilaterally by Washington. Iran insists it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass, unless the illegal blockade is lifted and the war reaches a permanent end.
Bahraini called on Turk to investigate and monitor the effects of this illegal naval blockade, especially on the right to health, food security, and access to medical supplies and services, as well as the livelihoods of the people of southern Iran. The letter noted that the current situation in the region is the result of the blatant and unlawful US-Israeli onslaught against Iran, stressing that these two regimes hold responsibility for the consequences of their inhumane actions.
11:29 - 2 خرداد 1405