TEHRAN – Iranian officials have discussed ways to expedite the country’s membership in the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs and strengthen regional cooperation in this regard.

During the second meeting of the expert committee on international narcotics relations held on Monday, Brigadier General Hossein Zolfaqari, the secretary general of the Drug Control Headquarters (DCHQ), and Kazem Gharibabadi, the newly appointed chair of the expert committee on international narcotics relations, reviewed the reports on consultations conducted with the member states of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNESOC), underlining the need to continue diplomatic efforts in Tehran, Vienna, and New York, Mehr news agency reported.

They underscored the significance of raising international support for the country’s candidacy for membership of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs through holding meetings with the ambassadors of the targeted countries, and expounding on the country’s experiences, capacities, and achievements in the fight against narcotics.

The second expert meeting also focused on the current status of the building of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the ways and frameworks for sustaining cooperation between Iran and the UNODC.

The officials highlighted that the future activities of the UNODC have to proceed based on mutual interests, and that Iran’s participation should not be limited to covering costs; the cooperation should involve research projects in areas like prevention, treatment, and capacity building.

The UNODC office in Tehran has to play a more active role in fostering cooperation with neighboring and regional countries and to leverage its capacity to shape joint regional programs, the officials noted.

During the meeting, the participants also called for enhancing the operational capacity of the regional center for the study and treatment of substance use disorder to hold training courses and promote ties among countries in the region.

The officials explored potential for the development of collaborations with BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, as well.

Supporting Iran’s counter-narcotics work pays off beyond its borders

The UNODC has released a report, emphasizing the need to support Iran in the battle against narcotics.

Supporting Iran’s counternarcotics work pays off beyond its borders, the report highlighted, saying it keeps drugs from reaching other regions, cuts into the money that funds organized crime, and supports public health by slowing the spread of addictive synthetic substances.

The main seizure of methamphetamine in and around Middle East and South-East Asia over the past few years has been reported in Iran, according to the report, which was published on Thursday.

Iranian seizure of methamphetamine increased from 30,393 kilos in 2022 to 40,453 kilos in 2025, placing the country at the forefront of the fight against drug trafficking.

In the first quarter of 2026 alone, Iranian authorities have intercepted 3,663 kilograms of methamphetamines destined for Europe and the Persian Gulf.

These weren’t just street-level busts. These were five intelligence-led operations targeting industrial-scale shipments originating in Afghanistan, evidence that trafficking networks in the region are shifting toward synthetic drugs.

While international attention has primarily focused on the vast region’s declining opium production, advanced criminal drug trafficking networks have successfully shifted toward manufacturing and exporting synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine, commonly known as meth. West Asia is now the epicenter of a synthetic drug boom.

Iran is strategically positioned along the “Afghanistan-West Asia corridor,” which serves as the primary trafficking route for these illicit commodities. The clear signal from Tehran is that these substantial shipments are being intercepted before they can reach international markets. Yet, sustained success will require enhanced international cooperation and support.

Each interception reduces the illicit financial flows that fund organized crime and slows the spread of synthetic drugs into new markets. These shipments are not merely statistics. Each seizure disrupts a supply chain that would otherwise put methamphetamine on the streets of Europe and the Persian Gulf, while cutting into the earnings of organized criminal networks.

Through its Country Partnership Programme as well as the Cooperation Framework with the Islamic Republic of Iran, UNODC supports the country's efforts in advancing border technology with the procurement of detection scanners, strengthening labs' forensic capabilities to identify new synthetic compounds, as well as regional intelligence sharing.

Sustained donor investment is critical to prevent this route from becoming a gateway for synthetic drugs. However, the scale of the challenge demands more than financial contributions—it requires a collective and sustainable approach by the international community. By supporting UNODC’s work in Iran, donor nations are investing in regional stability and international security, while also protecting their own borders from the flow of illicit substances.