US aggression, economic warfare amount to crimes against humanity: Iran's UN envoy

A senior Iranian diplomat says the United States’ aggression, along with its economic warfare and support for armed riots, amounts to crimes against humanity, calling on the international community to bring Washington to account for its atrocities against the nation.

Ali Bahraini, who leads the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva, made the remarks on Monday at the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council.

“Iran maintains that the deliberate use of economic coercion against a whole nation, coupled with the external manipulation and militarization of internal unrest, amounts to crimes against humanity.”

The envoy also said the crises Iran faced over the past year were in large part shaped, fueled, and externally instigated by the United States. Bahraini cited Washington’s transfer of weapons to the rioters who hijacked peaceful protests over economic grievances back in January. 

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He also condemned the illegal war of aggression against Iran, which was launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.

“28 February 2026 was a historic moment for the people of Iran. The acts of aggression by the United States and Israel, following multiple documented violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, marked one of the darkest pages in human history.”

“Our people found themselves standing before some of the most criminal and reckless Foreign States, who showed utter disregard for international law and demonstrated no restraint in their brutality.”

Meanwhile, Bahraini said Iran managed to transform the dark pages of aggression into “glorious chapters” through the bravery of its soldiers and the unwavering loyalty of its people to the motherland.

“During this asymmetric war, our people stood in the face of some of the most sophisticated war crimes. The aggressors sought to strike at the very foundations of our civilization, bombing our schools, destroying our power plants, assassinating our officials, and targeting innocent civilians. Now, the urgent task before the international community is to make the perpetrators of these crimes accountable.”

The ambassador said the US threats to destroy Iranian civilization overlook the nation’s courage in standing firm in the face of such adversity.

Iranians, he said, demonstrated resilience and maintained their confidence in national capabilities amid the most systematic and inhuman coercive measures taken by the United States.

The criminal US-Israeli aggression came to a halt on April 8 under a ceasefire following Iran’s resistance, successful retaliatory operations, and a powerful grip on the Strait of Hormuz.

In July, the United States again conducted waves of deadly airstrikes on Iran and imposed a naval blockade in violation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Islamic Republic, signed on June 17, to end the war.

Iran’s response was resolute. The Iranian Armed Forces launched decisively devastating strikes against strategic American targets across West Asia and declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to all traffic.

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