Addressing the Eightieth Session of the UN General Assembly, held on December 11 to discuss “Strengthening of the United Nations System”, Iran’s representative Yahya Aref delivered an explanation of vote following the adoption of a resolution on strengthening the United Nations system.

Reaffirming Tehran’s support for the resolution and the role of the International Court of Justice, the statement underscored Iran’s unwavering position on Palestine, condemned the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people, and stressed that support for the resolution does not prejudice Iran’s long-standing principles or imply recognition of the Israeli regime.

The full text of his statement is as follows:

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

Madam President,

We would like to thank Norway for its efforts in presenting this draft resolution. My delegation would like to deliver an explanation of vote on the resolution. 

Judge Tladi, appended a declaration to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice rendered on 22 October 2025 which eventually points to the context of this advisory opinion, he states: “There are no more words to describe the horrors in Gaza. The words ‘apocalyptic’, ‘exceptionally grave’, ‘disastrous’ and ‘catastrophic’ have all been used to describe the current situation, and all seem to pale in comparison to what is unfolding before our very eyes. Almost daily we are confronted with gut-wrenching accounts of victims and survivors and images of unimaginable suffering.” Indeed, the same denotes the surrounding circumstances of the adoption of this resolution and connotes our responsibilities in the face of the ongoing genocide against Palestinian people.

The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a responsible founding Member State of the United Nations, voted in favor of the present resolution and participated in the written and oral advisory proceedings established as per resolution 79/232 that is related to the very sui generis question of Palestine; the importance we attached to this process is deeply rooted in our respect to the status of the Court, the United Nations and the rights of Palestinian people emanating from their right to self-determination as well as to the rule of law at the international level.

The Court’s concerns are clear which include the need to ensure essential supplies of daily life, including food, water, clothing, bedding, shelter, fuel, medical supplies, and services to Palestinian people, to respect the prohibition on forcible transfer and deportation, to respect the prohibition on the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare. All of which are being willfully disregarded by the Israeli regime.

And unfortunately, the situation has exacerbated ever since, whereby each and every obligation pronounced by the Court is not only being openly disregarded by the Israeli regime but new modi operandi is being devised by the regime to willfully violate international law and intensify its brutal commission of genocide including by weaponization of any humanitarian aids of third parties so as to create the living conditions for preparation of the egregious crime. Just few days ago the Israeli regime again violated the inviolability of UNRWA premises thus breaching obligations under relevant international law governing the privileges and immunities of the United Nations.

This situation remind us again that the adoption of the present resolution in relation to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, does not absolve the international community from its obligation to prevent and stop the commission of egregious crimes, in particular, genocide against Palestinian people; decisive responses on the part of the international community as a whole is urgently needed to immediately stop the regime from waging further carnage and catastrophe against Palestinian people.

Madam President,

Our affirmative position and support to the present resolution attests to our continued support of Palestine, the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Palestinian people as well as the to defend the United Nations while highlighting the importance of exercise of functions of UNRWA. Without any prejudice to the foregoing, I would like to state the following:

Our vote is accompanied by and should be understood in tandem with our principled positions, observations, and reservations. We reiterate that our vote in favor of the present resolution and the provisions thereof is without prejudice to our principled positions including regarding a viable solution to the question of Palestine, which is known to all.

We maintain our reservation to any provision of the resolution that might be construed as contrary to our principled positions including with respect to the New York Declaration of the High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine. In particular, my delegation disassociates itself from preambular paragraph 4 of the resolution.

Along similar lines, while we support any initiative or measure acceptable to Palestinian people which could stop the genocidal war of the Israeli regime, ensure eviction of occupying forces, unimpeded entry and delivery of humanitarian assistance, freedom of Palestinian prisoners and the realization of the fundamental rights of Palestinian people, we would like to submit our reservation, in particular, to any provisions of the Sharm Al-Sheikh Declaration referred to in the draft resolution that are contrary to our principled positions.

Our vote and the provisions of the resolution should not be deemed as prejudicing in any manner the long-standing position of the Islamic Republic of Iran concerning the Question of Palestine and shall not be explicitly nor implicitly construed as the recognition of the Israeli regime.

I thank you, Madam President.