Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, delivered a sharp rebuke of the United States at a Security Council, accusing Washington of maritime aggression, piracy, and “hostage-taking” while defending Tehran’s own actions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking on the sidelines of an open Security Council debate on the safety and protection of waterways, Ambassador Iravani escalated Iran’s rhetoric against US naval policy, framing recent American actions as a direct assault on international law and regional stability.
“The United States is acting like pirates and terrorists,” Iravani declared, alleging that Washington has imposed an unlawful maritime blockade against Iran since February 28, seized Iranian commercial vessels in international waters, and detained crew members, conduct he characterised as “piracy and hostage-taking” under international law.
Iravani argued that US actions violate both the UN Charter and constitute an act of aggression under UN General Assembly Resolution 3314, and he called out fellow Security Council members for what he described as glaring hypocrisy.
“No one from those who have expressed their concerns for international navigation dares to refer to or condemn this terrorist act at today’s meeting.”
The ambassador was equally pointed in defending Iran’s own conduct in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping chokepoints, insisting Tehran’s measures are grounded in its rights and obligations under customary international law. Iran, he stressed, is not a signatory to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and is therefore not bound by its treaty provisions beyond universally recognised customary norms.
“Iran has consistently upheld maritime security and freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman,” he said, adding that any measures taken by Tehran are carefully calibrated to balance national security interests against the need for safe passage in what he called a “highly volatile environment.”
Iravani reserved his sharpest criticism for Western nations he accused of selective outrage, saying their stated concern for maritime freedom is “neither genuine nor consistent” with their own actions and positions.
“They have once again exposed their double standards,” he said. “The responsibility for any disruption to maritime transport lies with the aggressors, the United States and its supporters.”
The remarks come amid heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf region following what Tehran describes as an ongoing US-Israeli campaign against Iran in violation of the UN Charter. Washington has not publicly responded to the ambassador’s specific allegations.
Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, launched a sharp attack on the United States during a Security Council briefing, accusing Washington of “piracy,” “aggression,” and unlawful maritime actions that he said threaten regional security and freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
