Iran’s Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the United States’ veto of a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution, which was supported by 14 of the 15 council members, aimed to bring an end to the violence in the war-torn territory. Spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei slammed the US move, saying it demonstrates “complicity in the crimes of the Zionist regime” and is a sign of the “moral decline of American decision-makers.”
The vetoed resolution had called for an unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages held by Hamas, and the lifting of restrictions on humanitarian aid entering the territory. Baqaei argued that the US veto is an affront to the will of the international community and evidence of Washington’s complicity in Israel’s killing of Palestinians.
The US ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Shea, defended the veto, claiming that passing the resolution would undermine diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire and embolden Hamas, which is backed by Iran. However, Tehran views the Palestinian cause as a central tenet of its foreign policy, a stance that has been a cornerstone of its relations with the Middle East since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The conflict in Gaza continues to escalate, with Israeli strikes killing at least 10 people on Thursday. The death toll in Gaza has risen to 54,607, mostly civilians, since the conflict began. The war was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians. As the violence persists, the international community’s calls for a ceasefire grow louder, with many condemning the US veto as a significant obstacle to peace.
