‘Political, non-constructive’: Iran slams UNHRC special session on recent riots

Iran has vehemently condemned the upcoming special session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), labeling it a "politically motivated and non-constructive" move orchestrated by Western powers to interfere in Iran’s internal affairs.

Speaking at a high-level meeting in Geneva on Monday, Ali Bahreini, Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN office, urged friendly nations to resist the "political exploitation" of human rights mechanisms.

A spokesman for the council said Tuesday it will hold an urgent special session on Friday on "the deteriorating human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran", following a request from Britain, Germany, Iceland, Moldova, and North Macedonia.

In a letter addressed to the council's president, the five countries highlighted "credible reports of alarming violence, crackdowns on protesters and violations of international human rights law across the country".

Ambassador Bahreini warned that the session is being used as a tool to advance the agendas of states that have a dark history of war crimes and hypocrisy.

Bahreini described the recent riots as a calculated continuation of the "12-day US-Israeli war against Iran in June.

He asserted that the primary objective of this foreign-backed plot was to incite external intervention and export insecurity into Iranian territory.

"We possess credible audio evidence and documented proof of elements receiving direct orders to fire upon civilians," Bahreini stated, pointing to a sophisticated campaign of terror designed to destabilize the nation.

The Iranian envoy explicitly cited statements from US and Israeli officials, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and provocative social media posts from Zionist regime-affiliated outlets as clear evidence of direct meddling.

He characterized these actions as a flagrant violation of Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Bahreini also slammed Western governments for their double standards, lamenting that instead of condemning terrorism, these states have targeted Iran’s security forces in pure hypocrisy.

Ambassador Bahreini emphasized that while Iran does not seek war, it is fully prepared for defense.

"We prefer peace, but readiness is the best deterrent against miscalculations," Bahreini warned.

He added that Western states are "accomplices in the shedding of Iranian blood" and have lost the moral standing to lecture Iran on human rights.

"Governments with records of war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and complicity in genocide have no moral or civilized standing to teach Iran how to manage its society," he concluded, reaffirming that the rights of Iranian citizens are not a commodity for foreign political gain.

Iran was, earlier this month, the scene of highly violent riots exploiting concerns about the rising cost of living.

Authorities have acknowledged the legitimacy of economic grievances and vowed to address them, which are directly linked to unilateral US sanctions targeting Iran’s central bank and oil exports.

But they have vowed to deal decisively with US and Israel-backed rioters wreaking havoc across the country.

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