Iran Accuses France of Hypocrisy for Preaching Rights While Supporting US-’Israeli’ Crimes

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has criticized France and other Western countries for lecturing the world about human rights and international law while, according to Tehran, supporting US and “Israeli” military actions.

Araghchi made the remarks in a post on X on Thursday, after the French Foreign Ministry said that 32 countries, including France, the UK and Canada, along with the European Union’s foreign policy chief, had issued a joint statement condemning the use of capital punishment against foreign-linked rioters in Iran.

“Countries like France should stop lecturing the world about ‘human rights’ and international law. The hypocrisy is blatant and embarrassing,” Araghchi said.

He added that France’s support for what he described as “Israel’s” genocide in Gaza and aggression against Iran had undermined any claim to a moral position on human rights and international law.

“Israel” launched its war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, following a major operation by the Hamas resistance movement against the occupying entity, which came in response to escalating “Israeli” atrocities against Palestinians.

In 2025, the Tel Aviv regime agreed to a ceasefire after failing to achieve its declared objectives in Gaza. However, “Israeli” forces have continued to carry out attacks on the besieged territory despite the truce.

Over nearly three years, the war has martyred at least 73,388 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded another 174,259, according to the figures cited in the report.

The “Israeli” entity and the United States also launched their first direct war against Iran in June 2025. A second round of aggression began on February 28 and ended in early April after 40 days of fighting.

Tehran says that in both confrontations, Iran’s resistance and retaliatory operations forced the aggressors to accept ceasefires.

Meanwhile, foreign-backed unrest erupted in Tehran and several other Iranian cities in January, leaving multiple people dead and causing extensive damage to public property.

The protests initially began as demonstrations over economic grievances in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar but later escalated into violent unrest. Iranian authorities accused foreign intelligence agencies of exploiting the demonstrations in pursuit of a “regime change” agenda against the Islamic Republic.

On January 8 and 9, heavily armed rioters and what Iranian officials described as terrorists attacked security forces in parts of Tehran and other cities and set fire to public and private property, including shops, buses and mosques.

Iranian officials have linked the unrest and subsequent terrorist attacks to the United States and the “Israeli” regime. President Masoud Pezeshkian has said armed rioters received training from US and “Israeli” intelligence agencies.

Observers have likewise accused Washington of orchestrating unrest inside Iran as part of an effort to destabilize the country and gain access to its oil and other natural resources.