Tehran says UN resolution against Iran, Russia 'gift to terrorists'

Iran says a resolution by the UN General Assembly's human rights committee against Iran and Russia over their involvement in Syria is a “gift” to terrorists and extremists.

The non-binding resolution is aimed at undermining the campaign against terrorism and extremism and will only discredit the UN and its General Assembly, Iran’s Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Gholam Hossein Dehqani said on Friday.

The resolution, authored by Saudi Arabia and co-sponsored by Qatar and other Arab countries, the United States and other Western powers, was adopted by the 193-nation General Assembly's Third Committee on Thursday. There were 115 votes in favor, 15 against and 51 abstentions.

The resolution condemns and calls for an immediate end to all attacks against what it describes as the Syrian moderate opposition. It claims that such attacks benefit Daesh and other terrorist groups, including al-Nusra Front.

Dehqani warned of the “adverse consequences” of the resolution on the UN reputation and said Iranian military forces are present in Syria upon an official request by the Syrian government to provide consultations to the war-hit country.

“Therefore, the adoption of such a text is a violation of international regulations and a breach of governments’ right to establish peace in their own territory,” the Iranian envoy pointed out.

He said such claims are aimed at taking revenge against forces that have so far played the most effective role in the battle against terrorism and extremism, adding that Daesh terrorists would have overrun more areas in the Middle East in the absence of such forces.

The Iranian diplomat once again reiterated that the resolution would act as an award for extremists and terrorists as well as all those who use financial and logistical resources to spread extremist and terrorist ideologies.

Dehqani emphasized that the adoption of such resolutions was the outcome of the structurally flawed UN human rights mechanism.

Since the beginning of the Syria crisis in March 2011, Iran has been providing military consultations to the Syrian government in its battle against terrorist groups. Iranian officials have announced time and again that Tehran only has an advisory role in the Arab country and has no combat troops on the ground.

This comes as Saudi Arabia and certain regional countries, including Qatar and Turkey, and their Western allies have been supporting militants who have wreaked havoc in Syria.

The foreign-sponsored conflict in Syria has thus far claimed the lives of more than 250,000 people and left over one million injured, according to the United Nations.

The Syrian army’s fight against terrorists has taken a new turn after Russia started launching separate airstrikes against Takfiri terrorists in the Arab country on September 30, upon a request from the Damascus government.

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