Iran urges speeding up of legal processing of Israel’s genocide, war crime cases

 Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi

Iran has condemned the Israeli regime’s ongoing occupation and crimes across the Palestinian territories, calling on the international community to accelerate legal and criminal proceedings against Israeli officials at international courts for genocide and war crimes.

The call was made by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during a phone conversation with Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp.

Reviewing the latest regional and global developments, Araghchi strongly denounced the regime’s continued deadly aggression against Palestinians. He urged the international community to take serious action and expedite legal proceedings in international courts against Israeli officials for their involvement in the atrocities.

Last year, the International Criminal Court issued warrants for the arrest of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the regime’s former minister for military affairs Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Gaza Strip, where the regime had been waging a war of genocide since October 2023.

Under pressure from the United States, however, many countries have stopped short of complying with the rulings. Planes carrying Netanyahu around the globe have, meanwhile, been taking detours on several occasions for him to avoid the airspace of the countries that are party to the court’s statute.

Also during the phone call, Araghchi emphasized the necessity for all governments to uphold the rule of law in international relations, adhere to the United Nations Charter, and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations.

He also warned against foreign interference in the domestic affairs of other countries and highlighted multilateralism as key to maintaining global peace and security.

Referring to Iran’s responsible approach towards various challenges and disputes, he pointed to the country’s participation in the negotiations leading to conclusion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement in 2015 as a clear example of Tehran’s commitment to dialogue.

Under the accord, the United States and its allies lifted some of their illegal sanctions against Iran. Washington, however, left the deal in a unilateral and unlawful step in 2018, returning the bans and even mounting more economic restrictions on the Islamic Republic.

Araghchi noted that the Islamic Republic continued its engagement with the United Kingdom, France, and Germany -- three of the nuclear deal’s parties -- as well as the European Union to work towards removal of the illegal sanctions.

The top diplomat, meanwhile, underscored the longstanding ties between Iran and the Netherlands and reiterated Tehran’s commitment to engaging with all nations based on mutual respect and shared interests.

For his part, Dutch official stressed the importance of ongoing consultations to improve bilateral relations and contribute to resolving regional and international issues.

Veldkamp also reaffirmed his country’s commitment to the principles of the UN Charter and international law, stressing the Netherlands’ support for the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of all nations, including Iran.