AFP: Iran’s parliament speaker Ali Larijani on Monday launched a scathing attack against international bodies, saying that they have been used by major powers like the United States to detrimental ends.
GENEVA (AFP) — Iran’s parliament speaker Ali Larijani on Monday launched a scathing attack against international bodies, saying that they have been used by major powers like the United States to detrimental ends.
“The unfair and unjust power structure in the international arena has led to the instrumental use of the specialised international bodies; a situation detrimental to the present and future of mankind,” Larijani told the World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments meeting in Geneva.
Pointing to terrorist attacks such as the twin suicide bombings at a Shiite mosque in southeast Iran last week, Larijani blamed world powers for the failure of international organisations to bring about peace and stability.
“The current prevailing structure of power has not only been unable to secure international peace and security, but also led to the emergence of such new phenomena as terrorism in a very dangerous and organised framework,” said Larijani.
“No doubt such inability is due to the double standards and unilateral policies exercised by the big powers, including the US, as well as the instrumental use of specialised international bodies,” he charged.
Larijani suggested instead that the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union form a new body that would strip out the “historical shortcomings” of the UN and other international agencies.
“It would be more encouraging if the (UN and the IPU) as two independent organisations think over creation of a more powerful organ composed of the elites of these two international bodies mandated under a written charter to observe peaceful and just missions undertaken by the two organs,” said Larijani.
Iran’s former chief nuclear negotiator also used the conference organised by the IPU to slam Washington’s stance against a nuclear fuel swap deal with Turkey and Brazil.
“The main question arising here is why the US defied this agreement contrary to the initial steps it took urging Turkey and Brazil to do so,” said Larijani.
“Such a treatment is nothing but an indication of an arrogant, unprincipled and dishonourable approach in the international arena,” he said.
Under the deal, Iran would ship some low enriched uranium to Turkey in return for higher grade fuel for a Tehran research reactor.
But the United States disagreed with Turkey and Brazil’s tactics, and led the push last month at the UN Security Council for fresh sanctions against Iran over its disputed nuclear programme.
