Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei strongly criticized recent statements by the United Nations Secretary-General on Thursday. Consequently, the Iranian official described reducing the organization’s primary objective to preventing conflicts between superpowers as misleading and dangerous.
Baghaei referenced former UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, who warned against turning international institutions into static diplomatic machinery. Furthermore, Hammarskjöld spent his tenure developing active diplomatic mechanisms designed to protect smaller member states.
The Iranian diplomat argued that the current leadership’s narrow interpretation distorts the principles outlined in Article 2(4) of the UN Charter. Additionally, Baghaei warned that such minimalist doctrines could render the overwhelming majority of UN member states irrelevant.
Under this restricted interpretation, past conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, the Congo, Iraq, and Afghanistan could appear justified. Moreover, ongoing humanitarian crises in Yemen, Sudan, and Gaza could be wrongly presented as successful diplomatic outcomes.
The spokesman emphasized that minimalist interpretations weaken the UN’s founding principles while potentially excusing military aggression around the world. Therefore, Tehran argues that such messaging could effectively downplay serious violations committed by powerful states against vulnerable populations.
Baghaei also questioned whether promoting such restrictive organizational goals remains appropriate during the final months of the Secretary-General’s tenure. Furthermore, regional legal experts have echoed concerns that weakening the UN Charter’s principles could undermine compliance with international law.
The statement reflects broader dissatisfaction among developing countries with existing international security governance frameworks. Moving forward, Iranian representatives intend to pursue institutional reforms aimed at strengthening protections for the sovereignty of all states. Tehran maintains that international organizations must actively protect all member states rather than primarily serving the interests of major powers.