BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 23. Kazem
Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and
International Affairs, cautioned that the country is fully serious
about its commitment to self-defense, Trend reports.
He made the remarks on Monday during the sixty-first regular
session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, held from 23
February to 31 March 2026 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
Gharibabadi criticized Western countries for what he described
as double standards on human rights, emphasizing that Iran’s 1979
Islamic Revolution was driven by human rights objectives.
He also asserted that Western nations blocked efforts at the UN
Security Council to condemn what he called U.S. and Israeli
aggression against Iran last June.
According to him, during the 12-day conflict involving Iran, the
United States, Britain, and Germany obstructed both the Security
Council and the Human Rights Council from denouncing the attacks,
despite 1,060 Iranians being killed and 6,000 injured.
Gharibabadi further challenged Western media reports regarding
the number of fatalities in the recent unrest, which he alleged was
instigated by Western governments.
The deputy foreign minister underlined that large pro-government
rallies held after the foreign-backed disturbances, as well as
during the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, demonstrated the
Iranian people’s strong support for the Islamic Establishment.
He also addressed U.S. military threats against Iran, stating
that the country would respond forcefully to defend itself.
While noting that adversaries may be able to start a war against
Iran, he said it would ultimately be Iran that determines how such
a conflict ends.
Gharibabadi warned that the repercussions of any war would
extend beyond the immediate parties involved and would spread
throughout the region.
