The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, has conveyed to the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, that Tehran will maintain its efforts for the United States and Israel to "be held accountable" and to be "punished" for the "war crimes committed" by their forces on the territory of the Islamic Republic.
"The Iranian nation will never relent in its effort to demand justice and to ensure that those responsible for the war crimes committed by the United States and the Zionist regime are held accountable and punished," Araqchi emphasized before Guterres, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, during a meeting held in New York.
The head of Iran's diplomacy has stressed "Iran's determination to defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity with all its might," and has particularly denounced "the two illegal attacks carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran during ongoing negotiations and in less than a year" --referring to the bombings of June 2025 and those of February 28, 2026, which resumed a war still ongoing-- as well as "the continuity of aggressive actions such as the naval blockade and economic terrorism," alluding to the 'Economic Marginalization' operation of the U.S. Treasury Department.
In this regard, he asserted that "the United States has repeatedly betrayed diplomacy over the last decade and, by failing to fulfill its promises, has generated insecurity in the region."
In parallel, Araqchi has criticized "the persistence of genocide and militarism" by Israel "in occupied Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and other countries in the region," and has reminded Guterres "of the responsibility that falls on the UN and the Security Council to put an end to Israel's impunity and to stop the crimes committed in Gaza and the West Bank."
The minister has also expressed his displeasure at what he considers "continuous and flagrant violations of the Headquarters Agreement by the United States, as well as the obstacles imposed on the regular activities of the Iranian mission" to the United Nations in New York. Therefore, he has asked the Secretary-General to "take the necessary measures to compel the U.S. government to fulfill its obligations."
Guterres highlights the diplomatic "efforts" during the General Assembly
The office of the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General has confirmed the meeting, although in a more concise statement that only notes that Guterres and Araqchi "exchanged views on the ongoing conflict in the region."
According to this note, the Portuguese leader "has positively assessed the diplomatic efforts made during the High-Level Week of the United Nations General Assembly, aimed at ending the conflict" and "has urged the parties to maintain these efforts and to resolve their outstanding differences through negotiations to achieve peace."
Araqchi himself stated on Sunday that Tehran remains willing to engage in talks with the United States, although he warned that the country is also prepared for a possible resumption of military operations.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump, who had already rejected his proposal for a seven-day ceasefire, denied on Monday a report suggesting that he would be considering offering Iran a lifting of sanctions and the unblocking of frozen funds in exchange for concessions from Tehran regarding its nuclear program.