Iravani's Letter to Guterres in Reaction to the UN Secretariat's Action in Announcing Sanctions Against Iran

TEHRAN (Defapress) - Amir Saeid Iravani, the Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations in New York, in a letter to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council, and in response to the UN Secretariat's action concerning the implementation of sanctions, stated: "I hereby express my absolute objection to today's action by the Secretariat in 'notifying Member States' about the so-called 'implementation of terminated resolutions related to the Islamic Republic of Iran'."

The text of the letter is as follows:

In continuation of the letter dated September 27 from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, I hereby, in the strongest terms, express my absolute objection to today's action by the Secretariat in 'notifying Member States' about the so-called 'implementation of terminated resolutions related to the Islamic Republic of Iran'. In this regard, I wish to draw Your Excellency's attention to the following points:

Resolution 2231 does not grant any authority to the Secretary-General or the Secretariat to determine, declare, or notify Member States about the so-called 'implementation of terminated resolutions'. This resolution stipulates a specific mechanism in its operative paragraphs 11 and 12 and places the matter exclusively within the jurisdiction of the Security Council. The Secretariat, through its unilateral action, has overstepped its mandate and encroached upon the jurisdiction of the Security Council.

The precedent from October 2020 is clear: When similar claims were made by the United States regarding the so-called snapback mechanism, deep divisions within the Security Council regarding the validity of such a claim prevented the Secretariat from taking any unilateral or administrative action to implement it. The restraint demonstrated at that time once again confirmed the absence of any authority for the Secretariat under Resolution 2231 to act independently on this highly contentious issue.

By deliberately issuing this notification, despite the existence of clear and fundamental disagreements among Security Council members and while no consensus was reached at the Security Council meeting on September 19, 2025, the Secretariat has effectively taken the side of the three European countries and the United States. This action constitutes a serious violation of Article 100 of the UN Charter; an article that requires the Secretary-General and the staff of the Secretariat to refrain from seeking or receiving instructions from any Member State or external authority and to uphold the highest standards of independence and impartiality.

The Secretariat's partiality in this matter has compromised its credibility and standing as an impartial international civil service. Such conduct severely undermines Member States' trust in the Secretariat's office and sets a dangerous precedent of politicizing the role of the Secretariat.

The Islamic Republic of Iran decisively rejects today's action by the Secretariat and considers it null and void, without any legal basis, and explicitly contrary to the Charter. We emphatically demand that this grave violation be promptly rectified and that necessary guarantees be provided ensuring that the Secretariat fully adheres to its obligations under Article 100 of the Charter and refrains from any further action or interference in such matters.

It would be appreciated if the present correspondence could be circulated as a document of the Security Council.