Enemies May Start a War, But They Will Not Determine Its End

Kazem Gharibabadi, speaking on Monday at a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, said that while Iranians do not seek aggression against other nations, they know well how to defend their land decisively.

Criticizing the United States and several European countries, he described them as the primary violators of the Iranian people’s rights. Referring to Western support for Saddam Hussein during the Iran–Iraq war, unilateral sanctions, and what he described as a 12-day war in June 2025, he stressed that the Islamic Republic of Iran will stand resolutely against any military or political threat, while continuing to regard diplomacy and respectful engagement as the only viable path forward.

Gharibabadi, who traveled to Geneva to attend the high-level segment of the Council, delivered a speech on the first day of the meeting outlining Iran’s positions on human rights issues.

Full Text of the Deputy Foreign Minister’s Remarks:

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is a responsible and accountable country in the field of human rights. The Islamic Revolution of Iran was a human rights revolution aimed at ending dictatorship and establishing popular governance. After 47 years, tens of millions of Iranians took to the streets to demonstrate their broad support for the Revolution and their independence.

Unfortunately, some deceptive actors repeatedly speak about the human rights of the Iranian people. Today, I will make it clear that those who claim to champion human rights are themselves the principal violators of the Iranian people’s rights.

During the eight-year imposed war by Saddam’s regime against Iran, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, along with their allies, provided full support to that regime. As a result, more than 830,000 people were killed or injured, including 117,000 who were martyred or wounded due to the use of inhumane chemical weapons supplied to Saddam, particularly by Germany.

More than 25,000 innocent Iranian civilians, including women and children, were assassinated by terrorist groups that today enjoy safe haven in Western countries. The human rights of millions of Iranians—especially their right to life—have been severely violated as a result of the same claimants’ unilateral, unjust, and illegal sanctions, amounting to crimes against humanity.

In the 12-day war of June 2025 waged by the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran, more than 1,060 people were killed and around 6,000 injured. Yet these self-proclaimed defenders of human rights supported the aggressors and even prevented the Security Council and the Human Rights Council from condemning the aggression.

Where were these countries when the human rights of the Iranian people were being violated? Where were the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany?

What have the claimants of human rights done in response to the brutal crimes of the Zionist regime against the defenseless people of Gaza, which resulted in more than 244,000 killed and injured, other than supporting that criminal regime and blocking any action against it in international and human rights forums?

Regrettably, the Human Rights Council has become a tool in the hands of false claimants of human rights. What does not matter to these countries is human rights itself.

Long before the civilizations of these claimants took shape, Iran was a cradle of civilization and human rights. You have certainly heard that the first charter of human rights—the Charter of Cyrus—was drafted in Iran more than 25 centuries ago.

It is regrettable that those who claim to defend human rights seek to lecture the Iranian people on democracy, despite the fact that they freed themselves from the Pahlavi dictatorship 47 years ago. Unfortunately, some anti-human rights currents imagine they can restore democracy through the pampered son of the deposed and fugitive dictator. Is this not an insult to democracy?

The Iranian people are those who, under all circumstances, have supported their country’s independence and territorial integrity—not those who treacherously call for the bombing of their own homeland and are despised among Iranians. We take pride in all Iranians abroad who care about their country, even if they have criticisms, and we invite them to work toward Iran’s pride, greatness, and dignity.

From this platform, I declare that Iran and the Iranian people will stand firmly against any military or political conspiracy against their homeland. While Iranians do not seek aggression against other countries, they know well how to defend their land and dignity decisively. Iran’s enemies may be able to start a war, but they will not determine its end. The consequences of war would not be confined to two sides but would engulf the entire region. You have tested sanctions and war against Iran and achieved no result; now is the time to test diplomacy and respect.

Mr. President,

Unfortunately, Iran’s enemies, having suffered a painful defeat in the 12-day war, sought this time to pave the way for another military operation through unrest and disorder. Peaceful protests by the people in response to economic conditions were turned into riots.

Rioters and terrorists committed ISIS-like crimes, including burning individuals alive, beheading, staging killings, and widespread use of firearms, resulting in the deaths of 2,427 innocent civilians and security personnel out of a total of 3,117 fatalities in these incidents.

Regrettably, certain anti-human currents, driven by political motives, publish fabricated casualty figures, while none have been able to refute the country’s official statistics with documented evidence.

We seek justice for all blood unjustly shed. The principal perpetrators of these incidents—particularly the United States and the Zionist regime, who once again failed against the Iranian people—and their proxy, the son of the deposed and fugitive dictator, must be held accountable for these crimes against humanity.”

According to ISNA, on the first day of the meeting, in addition to the foreign ministers of numerous countries, the UN Secretary-General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the President of the UN General Assembly also delivered speeches.