Araghchi Warns UN: Washington’s Economic War on Iran Threatens Sovereignty

By Staff, Agencies

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council on Wednesday, denouncing the United States for waging “economic terrorism” against Iran and warning that Washington’s measures threaten the sovereignty of independent states.

The letter concerns “Operation Economic Expulsion,” announced by Washington on Monday, which Araghchi described as an attempt to achieve through coercion what the US failed to achieve through war.

Araghchi stressed that Washington failed to achieve its objectives in the two wars of aggression it waged against Iran in 2025 and 2026 and failed to persuade other states to join them.

Having exhausted those options, he said, the US is now seeking to force independent states to do economically what they refused to do militarily, pushing them into an “operation of economic terrorism.”

He said the policy reflects disregard for multilateralism and diplomacy and amounts to intimidation.

According to Araghchi, the operation aims to shut down all lawful economic relations with Iran through threats of secondary sanctions and exclusion from the US financial system.

Furthermore, he said that Washington is imposing its laws and foreign-policy objectives beyond its borders, forcing independent states to abandon legal trade with Iran.

He stressed that this violates Article 2[1] of the UN Charter and every state’s right to determine its economic and foreign policy without outside interference.

He warned that international silence risks normalizing violations of the UN Charter and international law. The measures allow sanctions against individuals and entities “regardless of where they are located,” which Araghchi said seeks to bring the sovereign economic decisions of other states under Washington’s control.

Moreover, he stressed that repeatedly imposing such measures does not give the US a legal right to unlimited jurisdiction beyond its borders. Instead, he said, Washington is seeking to impose its restrictions on the global economy and compel third countries to adopt policies they never agreed to.

Araghchi also accused the sanctions campaign of deliberately targeting civilians. By restricting food, medicine, medical equipment, energy and other basic needs, he said, the US is imposing collective punishment on Iranians and harming their rights to life, health, food and an adequate standard of living.

Given the sanctions’ scale and systematic nature, he called for their criminal character and the responsibility of those ordering or knowingly implementing them to be investigated.

Meanwhile, Araghchi urged the Security Council and UN membership to reject unilateral coercive measures and secondary sanctions, refuse to recognize or implement them, and demand that Washington halt its pressure campaign against third countries and their citizens.

He also asked Guterres to assess and report on the sanctions’ humanitarian and human-rights impact, including access to food, medicine, healthcare, energy, transportation and humanitarian aid, while ensuring evidence of violations is documented and preserved for future accountability.

Araghchi affirmed Iran’s right to pursue every available avenue for accountability and redress, arguing that the sanctions create international legal responsibility for the US, including an obligation to provide restitution, compensation and satisfaction for material and moral damage.

He said the US and responsible individuals, where their roles are established, bear criminal responsibility for harm inflicted on the Iranian people.

The letter comes as Iran continues to confront US-“Israeli” aggression and a naval blockade on its ports and coastline, alongside decades of sanctions and economic pressure that have failed to force Iran to change course.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced an expansion of sanctions on Iran on Monday, warning other countries to cut trade ties with Tehran or risk being cut off from the dollar-based financial system.