Iraqchi Calls UN Secretary-General's Remarks on Iran 'Impertinent'

The Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic responded to the UN Secretary-General's comments about 'preaching to Iran to reject nuclear weapons,' calling it an 'impertinent' act. On Wednesday, January 23, in Davos, Switzerland, the UN Secretary-General stated that Iran must take the first step towards improving relations with regional countries and the United States and clarify that its goal is not to produce nuclear weapons. Antonio Guterres expressed hope that Iranian officials would 'once and for all' clarify that they are not seeking nuclear weapons and would engage in 'constructive interaction' with other regional countries. Guterres noted that this step is important for peace and stability in the region, and the first step must come from Iran; otherwise, the world faces the risk of escalating tensions. Abbas Iraqchi, the Foreign Minister in the government of Masoud Beigian, described Guterres's remarks as 'preaching' and an 'impertinent' action in a message on X. Iraqchi further pointed to Iran's membership in the NPT, the fatwa by Ali Khamenei regarding the prohibition of weapons of mass destruction, and Iran's signing of the JCPOA as signs of Iran's 'clear and permanent commitment' to staying away from nuclear weapons. In 2015, Iran reached a nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA with Western powers, including the United States, under which, in exchange for the lifting of US and European sanctions against Tehran, the Islamic Republic would limit the dimensions of its nuclear program. However, in 2018, coinciding with Donald Trump's first presidency, the US government withdrew from the JCPOA. In response, Tehran gradually deviated from its JCPOA commitments, including increasing the amount and concentration of uranium enrichment; an issue that ultimately led to the issuance of two critical resolutions by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency last year. France, Germany, and Britain recently expressed deep concern in a letter to the Security Council regarding the latest report from the International Atomic Energy Agency about Iran's uranium enrichment level at 60% purity and warned Tehran about the use of the 'snapback mechanism,' which would mean the re-imposition of international sanctions against Iran. Abbas Iraqchi, in his response to Antonio Guterres, described the 'nuclear arsenal of Israel and its refusal to join the NPT' as 'a threat to the world.' Senior officials in the Islamic Republic, including the Supreme Leader, have repeatedly threatened the complete destruction of Israel.