Iran named vice president of UN General Assembly

Following Iran—a country that executes its citizens for “blasphemous” social-media posts—gaining leadership over a U.N. forum based on promoting human rights through technology, the Islamic regime in Tehran has now gained another position of influence within the international body dedicated to fostering peace: vice president of the General Assembly.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry called it “a shameful decision.”

It said: “In addition to murdering its own citizens, attacking innocents around the world and racing towards a nuclear weapon with the goal of wiping Israel off the map, Iran will now serve in a senior U.N. position.”

The ministry noted that Iran advocates for the elimination of Israel, a fellow member of the United Nations, saying “this decision, which defies all logic and reason, is an insult to the millions of Iranians protesting for their basic freedoms and to the justice, peace and global stability that the U.N. is supposed to stand for.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a short video with a simple message: “I have heard all of the reports about Iran. I have a sharp and clear message for both Iran and the international community: Israel will do whatever it needs to do to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.”

Iran will serve in the position for a one-year term beginning on Sept. 5.

Hillel Neuer, executive director of United Nations Watch, reported the news and said, “This is a regime that defies U.N. arms embargoes, tramples the human rights of its own citizens and foments terrorism across the globe.

Michael Freund, chairman of Shavei Israel, tweeted: “The #Ayatollahs murder their own people, suppress democracy, threaten to destroy #Israel, sponsor #terrorism & are rushing to build a nuclear bomb. So today the #UN rewarded #Iran by electing them VP of the General Assembly. Insane! #DefundtheUN.”

In addition, Iran was appointed rapporteur of the Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Committee of the General Assembly.

In response to this decision, Ambassador Robert Wood, the Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs, delivered a statement of protest that said, in part: “Given Iran’s persistent violations of U.N. Security Council resolution 2231, including pertaining to its ballistic-missile program, its ongoing efforts to undermine international security and its failure to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a representative of Iran’s government is unfit to serve in a leadership position within this committee, even if such a position is largely ceremonial.”

Zahra Hojabri, the U.N. correspondent for the Islamic Republic News Agency, tweeted that “the United Nations became the scene of victory for #Iran once again on Thursday after the Islamic Republic was granted two important duties at the international body.”