Iran says Netanyahu should speak in court, not at UN

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has strongly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the 81st session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.

Operative Information Center-OMM reports that Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei recalled that the UN’s main mission is to maintain peace and ensure justice, describing it as unacceptable to give an international platform to individuals accused of war crimes.

Baghaei referred to the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the Israeli prime minister and said Netanyahu must be held accountable under international law. The Iranian official stressed that a person accused of war crimes and violations of humanitarian law should speak not from the UN’s highest podium, but in the courtroom of an international tribunal.

The UN General Assembly is the organization’s main deliberative body, bringing together representatives of all UN member states for discussions on international peace, security and other global issues. The ICC, meanwhile, investigates and prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and aggression.