The Islamic Republic has not transferred the annual amount it pledged to the organization and will now not be able to vote in the plenum • Tehran: "Debt - because of US sanctions
Iranian President addresses UN General Assembly // Photo: Reuters
The United Nations announced today (Thursday) that it will deny Iran the right to vote in the plenum, after the country did not transfer the annual funding needed for the organization's activities.
The UN has released a list of seven countries, including Iran, South Sudan, Libya, Zimbabwe and others, that have not passed the required annual amount. The right to vote in other countries, including Somalia, has been suspended after paying only part of the amount.
An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman issued a statement contradictory stating that his country had indeed paid the amount it had committed but also had not done so due to the heavy US sanctions on its economy.
Spokesman Said Khatibazada wrote: "Despite the restrictions created by US sanctions, Iran has been careful to pay its share over the past few years, using the payment channels open to it."
"This year, too, after the United States blocked the relevant payment channels, Iran is in talks with the United Nations Treasury Department with the aim of creating a secure channel for Iran to pay its debt," Khatibazadeh wrote.
The United Nations contacted its members last year, noting that it was in financial difficulties due to non-compliance by member states.
The organization's secretary general, Antonio Guterres, claimed that the organization's coffers were missing two and a half billion dollars, which the member states undertook to pay.