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 Human Rights Council Agenda item: 3 Interactive dialogue with the SR on UCM Geneva, 9 September 2026  ***** بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم   Mr. Vice President, The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes Ms. Zaina Jallad as the new Special Rapporteur and appreciates her priorities. Madam Special Reporter, As United Nations experts have observed, unilateral coercive measures, constitute a colonial enterprise, undermining the basic conditions for peace in targeted countries. They are instruments of coercion that erode sovereign equality and peoples’ right to self-determination. Iran’s experience demonstrates the dangerous convergence of economic and military coercion. Following the unlawful military attacks against our country, the United States has announced what it calls “economic warfare” and “the toughest sanctions in history”, threatening Iran’s economic partners while maintaining a naval blockade. These measures form part of a broader strategy to weaken an independent and resilient nation. The findings of the report on the visit to Cuba further demonstrate the devastating human consequences of such policies. No political objective can justify subjecting entire populations to economic coercion or making their fundamental rights conditional upon submission to the demands of another State. The right to life is not a bargaining chip, and the right of peoples to self-determination is not a privilege to be granted or withdrawn by powerful States. Both must be respected, without exception. I thank you. ---