Reactions to Iran's Election as Vice President of the UN General Assembly; It's Shameful

Following the election of the Islamic Republic as 'Vice President of the 78th UN General Assembly' and 'Reporter of the UN Disarmament Commission', several countries described this action as 'shameful'. Chris Lu, the U.S. Special Representative to the United Nations, condemned the selection of these two titles for the Islamic Republic, stating: 'The U.S. voted against the election of the Islamic Republic as Vice President at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly because of the Islamic Republic's dismal record of ignoring UN Security Council arms sanctions, violating human rights of Iranians, and employing violence and exporting weapons to enhance insecurity and increase violence in the Middle East and around the world.' The U.S. representative at the UN emphasized that the Islamic Republic cannot act as a credible representative in its role as Vice President of the General Assembly, as it has repeatedly shown that it is not seeking to promote global peace and security but rather working against it. The U.S. Special Representative added: 'Therefore, the United States opposes Iran's presence in this position and will continue to oppose Iran's leadership throughout the UN systems.' The Israeli representative also expressed regret over this selection during a UN coordination meeting that led to the election of the Islamic Republic of Iran, stating: 'The Islamic Republic does not adhere to any of its international commitments, especially regarding disarmament.' He added: 'The election of the Islamic Republic should be condemned by all members.' Gilad Erdan, Israel's ambassador to the UN, reacted to the election of the Islamic Republic as Vice President of the UN General Assembly on Twitter, writing: 'The election of the terrorist regime of Iran as Vice President of the UN General Assembly is shameful.' He added: 'The Ayatollah regime in Iran is a threat to its citizens, the Middle East, and the world. It kills its own people, finances global terrorism, and is racing towards building nuclear weapons at an unprecedented pace. According to Erdan, 'This regime must be stopped and sanctioned and should never have a role in the UN system. This election shows that the UN has reached its lowest point.' On Thursday, June 1, the Islamic Republic of Iran was simultaneously elected as Vice President of the 78th UN General Assembly and as the reporter for the Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Committee of the General Assembly. Robert Wood, the U.S. Special Political Affairs Representative at the UN, reacted to the election of the Islamic Republic's representative as the reporter of the UN Disarmament Commission. The U.S. representative, citing the ongoing violations of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, including ballistic missile programs and the Islamic Republic's lack of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, argued that the Iranian government is not suitable for the reporting role in the UN Disarmament Commission due to its 'violent actions', 'human rights violations', and 'incitement of conflict.' State media of the Islamic Republic and government-affiliated social media users refer to this election as a 'diplomatic victory'. The UN General Assembly on Thursday elected Dennis Francis from Trinidad and Tobago as the President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly and introduced Iran as one of the 21 Vice Presidents of the UN General Assembly. In this session, Bolivia, Congo, Estonia, Gambia, Iceland, Iran, Malaysia, Morocco, the Netherlands, Senegal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Zambia were elected as Vice Presidents of the Assembly. These countries, alongside the five permanent members of the Security Council, will serve as Vice Presidents for one year. Iran is elected as one of the 5 Vice Presidents from the Asia-Pacific group.