Statement by H.E. Ambassador Ali BAHREINI before 63rd Session of the Human Rights Council - Agenda item 4
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Statement
by
H.E. Ambassador Ali BAHREINI
Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva
before
63rd Session of the Human Rights Council
Agenda item 4
Geneva, 21 September 2026
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بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
Today, I wish to speak on behalf of a nation that, over the past year, has endured profound consequences arising from a blatant and brutal aggression perpetrated by the United States and the Israeli regime.
Most of the crises that we suffered from war to economic hardship, were shaped, fueled, and, externally instigated by the United States, with serious consequences for our national sovereignty, social stability and regional security.
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 (IHL) 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.
We heard openly expressed wishes to destroy our civilization and reduce our country to the Stone Age, seemingly without regard for the history, heritage, and resilience of the Iranian people. Yet those who make such threats overlook the fundamental truth that: Iran has endured countless trials throughout its long history, and our courage in standing firm in the face of such adversity is precisely what has shaped us as a resilient people and preserved the greatness of Iran.
It was due to such greatness that the dark pages of aggression were transformed into glorious chapters, written through the bravery of our soldiers, the unwavering loyalty of our people to the motherland, and the steadfast determination of children who witnessed their classmates being torn apart by the missiles of the aggressors in their classrooms—determination to build a greater Iran.
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.
Iran has firmly resisted acts of aggression and externally driven efforts to undermine its security and stability.
But our collective action today in holding the perpetrators of aggression accountable, is an investment in the collective future of all of us.
Mr. President,
People of Iran are caught between foreign invasion and economic impacts of UCMs.
Confronted with the most systematic and inhuman coercive measures committed by the United States, what sustained our nation was our people’s understanding of the adversities confronting us, confidence in our own capabilities, and reliance on the strength and resources of our nation. We demonstrated resilience in the face of sanctions; yet our resilience should not be construed as absolving the international community of its responsibility to condemn the criminal nature of such measures imposed upon an entire nation.
To conclude, the January protests in Iran was peaceful at the beginning but immediately evolved into violent unrest amid external interference. U.S. officials publicly acknowledged the transfer and smuggling of weapons into Iran for distribution among protesters. The transfer of weapons, together with external provocations, played a significant role in the escalation of the unrest and in the broader sequence of events that preceded the subsequent aggression.
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; a fact that the FFM fails to address.
I thank you Mr. President.
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