TEHRAN — Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to explicitly identify the United States and Israel as responsible for violations of international law, saying the UN must act to preserve its credibility.
In a post on X on Thursday, Baghaei referred to remarks delivered by Guterres on July 23, in which the UN chief warned of an “alarming disregard for international law” and the growing consequences of impunity.
Quoting the secretary-general, Baghaei highlighted Guterres’ warning that “impunity is spreading,” that “violations are going unanswered,” and that “when parties prioritize military solutions over negotiated settlements, civilians pay the heaviest toll.” 
He also cited Guterres’ assessment that “the region is being pulled into an ever-widening circle of confrontation.”
Responding to the remarks, Baghaei wrote, “You are absolutely right, Mr. Secretary-General. But why don’t you call a spade a spade?” 
He questioned why Guterres has not explicitly named “the two primary culprits — the U.S. and Israel,” and also criticized a failure to condemn those who have granted “absolute impunity to the perpetrators of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression.”
Baghaei further urged the UN chief to fulfill his responsibilities, saying, “It is high time you shoulder your responsibility and help prevent the United Nations and its normative system from sharing the same fate as the League of Nations.”