Tehran calls for action to end Israeli genocide in Gaza

TEHRAN – Acting Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Baqeri Kani has stressed the urgent need for international efforts to stop Israel’s genocidal campaign against Gaza.

Meeting with UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis at UN headquarters on Monday evening, Baqeri Kani discussed global issues and stressed the need for more effective measures to stop Israel’s aggressive actions in the Gaza Strip.

Baqeri Kani expressed his appreciation for the constructive efforts of the General Assembly since the outbreak of the conflict, including the adoption of relevant resolutions, and called for increased global efforts to end the Israeli regime’s attacks and genocidal crimes against the people of Gaza.

Upon his arrival in New York, Baqeri Kani was greeted by Iran’s permanent ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani. He is expected to lead a delegation to attend a UN Security Council meeting on Palestine and multilateralism.

Baqeri Kani considers the upcoming meetings chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, whose country currently holds the presidency of the Security Council, to be crucial to discuss the most pressing global issues and their impact on Iran.

Baqeri Kani highlighted the dire situation in Gaza and condemned the ongoing genocide and systematic crimes committed against the country’s people over the past nine months. He reiterated Iran’s unwavering commitment to the Palestinian issue and stressed its proactive role in political, legal and diplomatic forums.

Referring to the engagement of the late Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian at previous meetings of the General Assembly and the Security Council, Baqeri Kani stressed Iran’s determination to use the UN Security Council platform to defend Palestinian rights and expose Israeli atrocities.

Israel’s war against Gaza escalated on October 7, when Palestinian resistance groups launched retaliatory attacks in the occupied territories. Gaza has been subject to a severe blockade since then, severely limiting the supply of essential goods such as food, medicine, electricity and water.

The casualty figures underscore the humanitarian crisis: at least 38,664 Gaza residents, mostly women, children and young people, were killed and 89,097 injured during the brutal offensive.

Shortly after the conflict broke out, the General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution calling for an immediate “humanitarian ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip, expressing global concern about the escalating crisis.