S Arabia for UN resolution against Iran

New York: Saudi Arabia has pressed the UN for a resolution that "deplores" an alleged plot by Iran to kill its ambassador in the US and calls upon Tehran to cooperate with the investigation into the assassination attempt.

Saudi Arabia tabled a draft resolution yesterday in the 193-member UN General Assembly, titled 'Terrorist attacks on Internationally Protected Persons,' which expresses deep concern over the October plot to assassinate the country's ambassador in Washington, Adel al-Jubeir.

The resolution, which could be brought to vote on Friday, "deplores" the assassination plot and calls upon Iran to "comply with all of its obligations under international law...and to cooperate with States seeking to bring to justice all those who participated in the planning, sponsoring, organisation and attempted execution of the plot." It has been backed by the United States, with the American envoy to the UN Susan Rice calling it a "measured and focused response to the chilling Iran plot."

Responding to the draft, Iranian ambassador to the UN Mohammad Khazaei has sent a letter to UN General Assembly President and Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

The letter states that if the resolution, containing an "unsubstantiated allegation," is brought before the General Assembly then "the United Nations would run the risk of turning into a venue for settling political scores through introducing countless draft resolutions on contentious issues, which should be seriously avoided."

The attitude of the US regarding the alleged plot, "which began with an explosive media campaign against Iran, and its long-standing hostile policies, is unconstructive and reveals once again the latter's ill-intentions," Khazaei said.

Head of Iran's Human Rights Council Mohammad Javad Larijani told reporters at the UN that the allegations against Tehran are "laughable" and "the real plot is the American plot to destabilise the region, to create fear from Iran and to promote the military adventurism in the region."

US authorities had last month charged two Iranians with conspiring to carry out terror attacks in the country and participating in a plot, directed by elements of the Iranian government, to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador.

Manssor Arbabsiar, a 56-year-old naturalised US citizen holding both Iranian and US passports, and Gholam Shakuri, an Iran-based member of the Qods Force, were charged in the plot, which the country described as "fabricated and baseless" and an "evil plot" by Washington.

Posted in: Iran,S Arabia,US