US Announces Security Council Summit on Iran Under President Trump’s Presidency
The United States representative to the United Nations announced on Tuesday President Trump’s willingness to hold a summit of leaders of UN Security Council member states this month to discuss the Islamic Republic of Iran, its missile and nuclear programs, as well as Iran’s regional behavior.
Nikki Haley said at a press conference held to outline the Security Council’s work agenda for September that the US President has requested a high-level council meeting to address violations of international law by Iran and destabilizing measures taken by Tehran in the Middle East.
During this press conference held at UN headquarters in New York, she did not specify an exact date for the special meeting; however, it will be held concurrent with the UN General Assembly’s annual meeting and on the sidelines of the two-day summit of the assembly’s leaders – which begins on September 25 (the third of Mehr) – it will be held.
The press conference by the US delegation to the United Nations was held one day after the United States took over the rotating presidency of the Security Council for one month. The presidency of this most important UN body is rotated monthly among its fifteen permanent and non-permanent members.
When asked by one reporter whether Iran’s president would also attend this meeting, Haley said that according to the rules and principles of the United Nations and the Security Council, Iran has the right to be present, and the participation of that country’s president depends on Tehran’s decision.
The US representative to the United Nations, in response to the question of whether the United States would agree or disagree with Iran’s president attending this meeting, said we agree.
When asked whether the US government has a specific strategy against Iran and whether this strategy includes regime change, Haley said the White House strategy is simple: to highlight Iran’s wrongful actions and its violation of Security Council resolutions.
She added that President Trump’s administration also wants to amplify the voice of the Iranian people and give those who desire a better life and whose government suppresses them by any means available, the opportunity to make their voices heard to the world, and at the same time tell them that America stands beside them.
President Trump, who was opposed to the 2015 nuclear deal between world powers and Iran from the start, withdrew from the agreement on May 8 (the 18th of Ordibehesht) of this year on the grounds that Tehran violates the spirit of the JCPOA by continuing its missile program and hostile actions in the Middle East.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced in late Mordad the formation of the “Iran Action Group” and said the purpose of creating this group is to coordinate and implement US policy against Iran, in the period after America’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement, with the goal of changing the behavior of the Islamic Republic.
Source: Voice of America
