Posted on 06/04/2021 4:31:26 AM PDT by bert
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expresses his ‘strong dismay’ at the decision, saying Tehran could not pay its arrears due to the US sanctions.
Iran on Thursday slammed the United Nations’ decision to suspend its voting rights at the General Assembly for failing to pay its dues as “fundamentally flawed, entirely unacceptable and completely unjustified”.
Tehran argues that the $16.2m it owes to the UN is the result of Washington’s crippling sanctions, imposed after former US President Donald Trump in 2018 unilaterally withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.
Iran’s voting rights at the UN General Assembly were suspended in January under rules for countries whose arrears are equal to or exceed their contributions due for the past two years.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expressed his “strong dismay” at the loss of voting rights, in a letter sent on Thursday to UN chief Antonio Guterres.
“Iran’s inability to fulfil its financial obligation toward the United Nations is directly caused by ‘unlawful unilateral sanctions’ imposed by the United States,” Zarif wrote, according to the letter posted on his Twitter account.
Zarif said Iran rejected the suspension of its voting privileges because Tehran’s “incapacity to transfer its financial contribution has been entirely beyond its control”.
Guterres, in a May 28 letter to the UN General Assembly, said five nations were barred from voting due to their failure to pay arrears, but added the UN could permit them to vote if it were deemed to be “due to conditions beyond the control” of the member state.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres, said there had been “very intense discussion” with Iran to find a solution.
“It is not from lack of trying, either on our side or their side… but the country falls under a number of bilateral sanctions which makes it a bit challenging,” Dujarric told reporters.
“These discussions are continuing in good faith.”
Zarif urged the UN leadership to “remain true to the purposes and principles” of the UN charter, and to “refrain from any decision that betrays the spirit of sovereign equality of member states, and weakens multilateralism”.
Iran's whining about lack of money to pay UN dues while funding terror by Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi is disgustingly comical
Isn’t it great?
President STILL has influence in world events.
What a laugh!... didn’t Obama and Biden just give them billions? What’s a few million?
To a nation 16.2 million is chicken feed. Iran spends much much more than that on its terror operations.
Using the excuse that the US is to blame for nonpayment to the UN is like stiffing your lawyer because the adverse party is making things difficult.
They seem to have plenty of money to send to Hamas, Hezbollah, Boko Haram, and the many other terrorist proxy groups that Iran supports.
I hope the UN doesn’t fall for Iran’s “it’s because of the sanctions’’ bs.
In 2020 Venezuela, Yemen and Lebanon were among the countries that temporarily lost voting rights. This time it is Iran and the Central African Republic.
What dis Iran do with all those millions overnighted by OCommie and Skerry under cover of darkness?
China Joe will make us pay it. Just watch.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expresses his ‘strong dismay’ at the decision, saying Tehran could not pay its arrears due to the US sanctions.
Joe to the Rescue!
So they wont use any of Barry’s Billions?
Rat Party Headquarters wants Iran to have a nuke...simply because it’s wrong for only Israel to have one.
“China Joe will make us pay it.”
Just let Hunter in to sign a deal with your uranium enrichment activities with a cut to the big guy and all your problems will disappear.
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