Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian arrived in New York on Thursday to attend a session of the U.N. General Assembly.
Amirabdollahian praised the terrorists of Hamas as a lawful and legitimate “resistance group” to reporters and delivered a belligerent speech to the U.N., threatening dire consequences for the United States and Israel if the Israelis continue their assault on Hamas in Gaza.
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Before leaving for New York, Amirabdollahian saluted the Hamas terrorists and proclaimed, “Resistance in the region is a reality.”
Amirabdollahian accused Israel of “retreating from the battlefield and targeting civilians,” as if Hamas had challenged the Israelis to a joust rather than launching a horrific surprise attack against innocent women and children.
“The continued killing of civilians by the Zionists narrows the space for the forces of resistance in Palestine and the region,” he complained.
Amirabdollahian told reporters outside U.N. headquarters that Hamas has the right under “international law” to perpetrate whatever atrocities it desires because it is a “liberation movement” whose territory has been “occupied” by Israel.
“Therefore, whatever concerning the action of the resistance groups and Palestinian liberation groups in confronting the occupation is completely rooted in international law and the United Nations Charter,” he said.
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Amirabdollahian boasted that Iran was instrumental in blocking U.S.-backed United Nations resolutions on Wednesday that would have condemned Hamas for the unspeakable murders, rapes, and kidnappings it perpetrated against 1,200 Israelis on October 7. He claimed Iran collaborated with Russia and China to block the resolutions because they did not meet Tehran’s objectives for “securing stability, security, and peace.”
“What matters to us is the immediate cessation of war crimes and genocide against the civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, the immediate and extensive dispatch of humanitarian aid, and stopping the forced displacement of Gaza residents, which can be included in the text of any resolution,” he said.
Amirabdollahian went on to deliver a menacing address to the U.N. in which he said the United States will suffer if Israel continues its operation in Gaza.
“I say frankly to the American statesmen, who are now managing the genocide in Palestine, that we do not welcome expansion of the war in the region. But if the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire,” he declared.
Amirabdollahian claimed the Hamas terrorists told their patrons in Iran they are ready to release some of the 220-plus hostages they kidnapped on October 7 – but the Iranian foreign minister said they should hold out until the world community presses for Israel to release 6,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange.
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“The Islamic Republic of Iran stands ready to play its part in this very important humanitarian endeavor, along with Qatar and Turkey. Naturally, the release of the 6,000 Palestinian prisoners is another necessity and responsibility of the global community,” he said.
Amirabdollahian will reportedly meet with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres before the U.N. General Assembly votes Friday on a resolution to demand a ceasefire in Gaza.
Guterres himself is under fire for comments on Wednesday that suggested the Hamas sneak attack was justified by Palestinian grievances against Israel, a position he strove mightily to “clarify” after Israel called for his resignation and denounced his remarks as a “disgrace” to his office.
On Wednesday, Israel’s U.N. ambassador Gilad Erdan said he would no longer meet with Guterres. He announced that Israel will stop issuing visas to U.N. officials to “teach them a lesson.”
The Palestinian delegation to the U.N. meanwhile praised Guterres for his comments and promised to defend him against “ridiculous attacks.”
Editor’s Note: This story was updated to reflect a revised number on the death toll from the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel. The Israeli government estimate of 1,400 was revised to around 1,200, according to Reuters.