TEHRAN – The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations has issued a statement on the recent UN General Assembly resolution concerning Palestine, emphasizing that any genuine solution must recognize the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and firmly reject forced displacement.

In its address, Iran’s mission criticized the occupying power’s policies of “systematic discrimination, territorial expansionism, and disregard for international humanitarian norms,” warning that such actions threaten the values of humanity, justice, and integrity.

The statement highlighted that nearly two years of relentless Israeli military aggression — particularly in Gaza — have resulted in mass killings, displacement, starvation, and widespread destruction of civilian life and infrastructure, all in flagrant violation of international law. It further argued that Israel’s repeated attacks on neighboring states have deepened instability across the region and endangered international peace and security.

Iran underscored that decades of concessions, peace initiatives, and normalization efforts have failed to halt Israel’s “crimes and illegal occupation.” Instead, it said, these efforts have emboldened expansionist and colonial policies. Tehran pointed to repeated Security Council vetoes and the steady supply of arms to Israel as evidence that current international approaches cannot deliver their stated goals.

According to the statement, a just and lasting peace requires binding UN resolutions that address the root causes of the conflict, hold Israel accountable, and safeguard Palestinians’ rights.

Iran reiterated its consistent calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, unimpeded humanitarian access, and reconstruction efforts that respect Palestinian sovereignty. It reaffirmed support for what it called the “legitimate resistance” of the Palestinian people against occupation, foreign intervention, and apartheid policies, stressing that peace can only come through ending the occupation and realizing full Palestinian independence.

Citing UN document S/2019/862, Tehran again proposed holding a free and comprehensive referendum across Palestine with the participation of all original inhabitants — Muslims, Christians, and Jews — as the only democratic and lasting path forward.

The mission concluded that the international community should urge the UN Security Council to recommend Palestine’s admission as a full member state and hold Israel accountable for “war crimes, genocide, and prolonged illegal occupation,” including through sanctions and the suspension of its UN membership.

The statement came after the UN General Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution supporting the establishment of a Palestinian state under the “two-state solution.” Iran, along with Iraq and Tunisia, abstained from the vote. Tehran has repeatedly maintained that the Palestinian question cannot be resolved through such a framework, arguing that the two-state plan fails to ensure the full rights of Palestinians and does not address the core issue of Israeli occupation.

According to Iran, the resolution overlooks the continued presence of Zionists on Palestinian land, which it described as part of a broader colonial project in West Asia — the root cause of regional crises. It accused the drafters of deliberately ignoring the role of Israel and the United States as the main obstacles to realizing the two-state formula.

“As long as occupation and apartheid policies persist, the two-state plan will not succeed in ending the conflict,” the statement said. Under international law, Tehran noted, people under occupation have the right to resist colonial and apartheid systems in pursuit of self-determination.

The statement also addressed the events of October 7, insisting that Palestinian actions must be seen either as legitimate self-defense or as an inevitable outcome of Israeli aggression. Iran concluded that the only durable resolution lies in ending occupation across all Palestinian lands and holding a nationwide referendum that includes displaced Palestinians returning to their homeland.

“The only democratic solution to the Palestine issue will be possible through this path,” the mission declared, reaffirming Iran’s support for Palestinian resistance groups, which it said operate within international law recognizing the right of occupied peoples to resist apartheid and colonialism.