Sharjah24 - WAM: The UAE reiterated its firm rejection of any justifications advanced by the Iranian government regarding the hostile escalation against countries in the region, emphasising that such claims are attempts to mislead the international community and to justify its unprovoked and unlawful aggression against the UAE and other regional states.
The UAE stressed that targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and undermines global efforts to enhance regional security and stability.
The statement was delivered by Jamal Al Musharakh, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations Office and Other International Organisations in Geneva, during an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran and the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran at the Human Rights Council’s current session in Geneva.
He added that this ongoing, unprovoked aggression—now in its 17th day against the UAE, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan—has been strongly condemned by the international community through the landmark United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817, co-sponsored by 136 UN Member States, which calls on Iran to immediately cease these attacks.
The resolution affirms that these actions constitute a breach of international law and a grave threat to international peace and security. It demands that Iran immediately and unconditionally halt all provocations or threats against neighbouring countries, including through the use of proxies in the region. It delivers a clear and unified message that the international community will not tolerate violations of state sovereignty or the deliberate targeting of civilians and critical infrastructure. It further holds Iran fully responsible for all injuries and damage caused to affected countries as a result of its unlawful armed attacks.
Al Musharakh noted that despite sincere and responsible efforts by the UAE and regional countries to prevent escalation until the last moment, Iran chose to isolate itself from its neighbours.
He also reaffirmed the UAE’s complete rejection of the characterisation in the report of the Special Rapporteur and the Fact-Finding Mission, which described these attacks as “retaliatory strikes.” He stressed that such characterisation lacks legal and factual basis and provides an unjustified pretext for acts of aggression that are unlawful under international law. He warned that any attempt to justify such aggression would set a dangerous precedent that contradicts the principles of the international order based on respect for state sovereignty.
Al Musharakh added that the Iranian attacks on the UAE constitute a serious human rights violation and a brutal, unprovoked act of aggression, undermining international efforts to maintain global peace and security. He called on the Human Rights Council to fulfil its responsibilities by accurately characterising these violations in line with international law and established facts.
He further noted that these attacks targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure, resulting in seven deaths and 145 injuries, in a clear violation of the UAE’s sovereignty and the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.
He affirmed that these attacks endanger citizens and residents, threaten regional stability, the security of international navigation, and global supply chains, and directly affect the global economy, which is closely tied to the region’s stability.
In his concluding remarks, Jamal Al Musharakh stressed that the UAE reaffirms its full right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, national security, and territorial integrity, and to ensure the safety of its citizens and residents, in accordance with its right to self-defence under international law and Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran is one of the Human Rights Council’s independent mechanisms, tasked with monitoring the human rights situation in Iran and submitting periodic reports and recommendations to the Council. The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran was also established by a Council resolution to investigate alleged human rights violations in Iran and to collect and document relevant evidence and information.
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