UN following Washington’s regional policies: Analyst

Press TV has interviewed Mohmmad Marandi, a professor at the University of Tehran, in Tehran, to discuss remarks made by the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, slamming the UN for double-standard policies.

What follows is a rough transcription.

Press TV: When we look at what Mr. Zarif said about double standards from the United Nations, do you think that is an accurate comment in dealing with the United Nations especially when we look at what is happening from Syria to Iraq and even if we look at the current situation in Yemen?

Marandi: I think it is obvious to anyone that the United Nations is basically following the United States and its partners with regards to the regional developments. As you pointed out in the case of Yemen, what we have is an assault on the Yemeni people and a clear act of aggression by the Saudi regime where thousands of people have already died, millions of people have been displaced and children are facing psychological torment on a daily basis because of the constant bombing. On the other hand even the Western media is completely silent. They keep talking about Syrian barrel bombs, whatever that may be; but the Saudis are carrying out a war against another country yet the Western media is completely silent on this one. So the United Nations is silent about the... [unrest] in Bahrain, is silent about destruction of Yemen’s infrastructure, and with regards to Syria which is a sovereign country, we all know now that the United States, Western countries, and neighbors of Syria from the very beginning were supporting the extremist groups, Takfiri groups, in order to weaken the Syrian government and they were the ones who created the civil war yet the United Nations does nothing to protect the sovereignty of Syria. So I think it is clear to all, the role that the UN has been playing.

Press TV: What is the answer, if the United Nations which is supposed to be representing all countries and ultimately trying to work out a way for peace in the world and if that seems not to be working because as you have just said obviously this entity is biased? Do you think that it is time to try to come up with another option for the international community and how likely is that to happen?

Marandi: I think that is already happening. If we look at what China is doing, it is developing its own alternative financial structures to replace the World Bank and the IMF.... Russia has been sanctioned by western countries to also develop alternatives to SWIFT. The world has been changing and the central powers moving rapidly away from Europe and North America to Asia and obviously, this is going to be reflected in the different international structures, the regional structures that they develop. But the resistance in the West will continue and they will continue to want to impose their own hegemonic ambitions upon the rest of the world. And this recent only option that is left is for countries to stand for themselves and for regional integration; Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan and other countries. They have to work closely together to protect themselves, otherwise, there is no doubt that there are regimes in this region and beyond that wish to use these extremists to destroy the infrastructure of the region to break up countries, to weaken the sovereignty of countries and region and that includes Iran. Because Iran too, is a target of these governments; there is an attempt to weaken Iran and I think that all these countries have to work together to defeat the extremism that is being exported by the Saudis and supported by certain European governments.

MTM/KA

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