Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei on Saturday sharply condemned what he described as “arrogant defiance” and the “impunity” granted to Israel following a heated confrontation at the United Nations involving Israel’s ambassador and a senior UN official.
“This shameful exhibition of arrogant defiance; against reason, law, morality, and justice — is yet another inevitable result of the absolute impunity bestowed upon an apartheid terrorist regime by its enablers. This regime continues its genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people and throughout the region with utter disregard for all civilized norms,” Baqaei said, referring to the clash that unfolded during a UN meeting in New York marking the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict.
“It is long past time for the world to rise and confront this grave, unprecedented threat to peace and humanity,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson added.
The shouting match took place during a UN meeting focused on conflict-related sexual violence, where Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, clashed with Vanessa Frazier, the UN Secretary-General’s representative for children and armed conflict.
At the meeting, Danon demanded the resignation of Pramila Patten, the UN official who authored a report that blacklisted Israel for alleged conflict-related sexual violence for the first time. Accusing her of bias, he said: “You caved to the secretary-general’s obsession with targeting Israel,” referring to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
During his remarks, Frazier interrupted with a point of order, urging Danon to refrain from what she called “personal attacks” and stating that she had “verified evidence.”
The exchange quickly escalated. Danon responded by saying, “Frazier should be quiet.”
“We are a member state, and you work for the U.N., and you will be quiet now. You will be quiet … you and your shameful report,” he added.
Witnesses described the confrontation as unusually tense, with both sides speaking over one another as meeting officials attempted to restore order.
The clash came as the growing international scrutiny has increased over allegations of sexual violence and other abuses linked to the ongoing conflict. A UN report released in May placed Israel alongside Russia on a list of countries suspected of involvement in conflict-related sexual violence, a move Israeli officials have strongly rejected as biased.
Frazier, Malta’s former UN ambassador, also released a report this week warning that Israeli settler groups could be added to a global blacklist for violations against children. The report followed concerns raised by Guterres over what he described as a “staggering” rise in violations against Palestinian children.
Israel has firmly denied the allegations. Danon said Israeli authorities have responded to every claim and have repeatedly invited UN representatives to conduct first-hand investigations into the accusations.
UN officials, however, maintain that their findings are based on verified evidence and warrant independent investigation.
In response to the confrontation, Baqaei issued a strongly worded statement on social media, portraying the incident as part of a broader pattern of what he described as unchecked Israeli actions in the region. He argued that such developments reflect “absolute impunity” and renewed his call for international action against what he termed a “grave threat to peace and humanity.”
Israeli officials, meanwhile, continue to dismiss the UN findings as unfair, arguing that the reports rely on contested allegations and fail to adequately reflect Israel’s cooperation with investigative efforts.
