TEHRAN- Iran's ambassador to the United Nations has warned that the politicization of financial systems, unilateral coercive measures, and the consequences of armed aggression are seriously hampering global development efforts and eroding trust in the multilateral system.

Speaking at the ECOSOC Finance for Development forum in New York on April 23, Amir Saeid Iravani said that financing for development is directly tied to the credibility of multilateral institutions. He noted that declining cooperation, unilateral measures, and the freezing of sovereign assets are constraining fiscal space and disrupting investment in many countries, particularly developing nations.

Iravani stated that Iran has been subjected to unilateral coercive measures, financial restrictions, and asset freezes for more than four decades—burdens borne directly by ordinary civilians. He also pointed to the ongoing aggression against Iran, including two imposed wars over the past nine months, which have claimed thousands of lives, especially among children and women.

The ambassador expressed regret that proposed language reflecting the realities faced by countries under aggression was removed by facilitators and replaced with formulations that are neither consensus-based nor neutral, warning that such an approach undermines the credibility of collective work.

He called for development finance to remain predictable, free from politicization, and fully respectful of countries' sovereign right to pursue their own development pathways.