Tehran criticizes anti-Iran draft resolution on U.S. plot claim

TEHRAN, Nov. 17 (MNA) – The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations has roundly criticized the anti-Iran draft resolution that condemns Tehran’s alleged plot to assassinate the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Washington, Adel al-Jubeir. Ambassador Mohammad Khazaii made the remarks in a letter that he sent on Wednesday to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, General Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, and the heads of the UN delegations based in New York. Saudi Arabia’s UN delegation circulated the U.S.-backed draft resolution to the General Assembly on Wednesday. Abdulmohsen Alyas, the Saudi UN mission’s spokesman, said on Tuesday that the draft resolution will be put to a vote on Friday, according to Reuters. Reuters also reported on Tuesday that the draft resolution says it “deplores the plot to assassinate the ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States of America.” It also condemns “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations” and “strongly condemns acts of violence against diplomatic and consular missions and representatives.” In his letter, Ambassador Khazaii dismissed the allegations leveled against Iran and warned of the repercussions of the decision to submit the draft resolution to the assembly. He also wrote that the move set a dangerous precedent, is unacceptable, and ruins the reputation of the UN. He added that the draft resolution, which is backed by the U.S. and is based on unfounded allegations, is merely meant to advance the short-sighted policies of Washington. The mechanism of the assembly used not to allow the submission and review of draft resolutions drawn up based on false allegations, Khazaii said. Those who presented the draft resolution have flouted UN regulations, he said, adding that the move will definitely undermine the role and credibility of the assembly. The Iranian ambassador also described the move as a threat to regional and international security. Khazaii also wrote about the Iranian mission’s letter to UN authorities dated October 11, 2011, in which he emphasized that Iran is opposed to terrorism in all its forms and called for the letter to be registered as a UN official document. Elsewhere in the letter, he stated that the Islamic Republic fully abides by its commitments to the terms of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons, including Diplomatic Agents, which was adopted in New York on December 14, 1973, and called on the countries which prepared the draft resolution against Tehran to comply with the convention. The propaganda campaign that the U.S. has launched against Iran and the accusations that it has made against Tehran show Washington’s evil and hostile intentions, he said. However, based on the authentic documents that Iran has presented to the UN, the U.S. has backed many terrorist actions against the Iranian government and people, Khazaii wrote. Iran ready to sign draft resolution if changes are made to it Iranian Foreign Minister on Wednesday criticized the move by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia and said that Tehran did not expect Riyadh to take such a move. Salehi stated, “We are the supporters of the campaign against terrorism and are in the forefront (of the campaign), and we held an international conference on the issue in Tehran a few months ago. Therefore, we agree with most of the content of the draft resolution and could be a signatory to the resolution. However, in one or two paragraphs, the issue of the U.S. recent scenario, has been mentioned, which, if dropped or revised, the draft could be agreed upon by the majority of UN member states.” “Given the efforts that the Islamic Republic of Iran has made to create an atmosphere of friendship, peace, and stability in the region and to create a proper atmosphere (in the relations) between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia, it was not expected that Saudi Arabia and the U.S. put forward such a proposal. And the alignment of Saudi Arabia and the U.S. is not good in the view of the Islamic ummah,” he added. Salehi also said, “Saudi politicians are experienced, and, given our efforts to bring the two countries closer together, we hope that the Saudis would carefully consider their very political action so that the situation would not be complicated further. And we do not wish that relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia would become more complicated.”