Iranian Foreign Minister writes to Sri Lanka seeking solidarity on UN sanctions

Colombo, October 3 (Daily Mirror) - In the wake of the United Nations’ sweeping economic and military sanctions reimposed on Iran—a decade after they were lifted—Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has written to his Sri Lankan counterpart, Vijitha Herath, asking for Sri Lanka’s solidarity, according to Iranian Ambassador Alireza Delkosh.

The UN move comes after the UK, France, and Germany wrote to the UN Security Council last month, accusing Iran of failing to fulfill its commitments. Tehran has now recalled its ambassadors to the UK, France, and Germany in response, Iranian state media reports.

In a discussion with a group of journalists, the Iranian Ambassador said that international law is currently being treated “as a toy of the United States.” He added that the decision, taken by the United States with these countries, is very dangerous for international law.

“Today Iran is the target, tomorrow maybe other countries in South Asia, and the day after, maybe African countries. The media should clarify this to people,” he said.

Asserting that his Foreign Minister wrote to the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister and the Maldivian Foreign Minister, he said, “We have to stand with international law. This is not a question of Iran alone. This is about the dignity of international law!”

“We should be careful about international norms because these norms are the result of humanity’s bitter experiences after two world wars. We cannot ignore these norms and dignities and simply submit, saying the United States can do anything it wants,” he added.

“We have sent the letter to the Foreign Ministers of Sri Lanka and the Maldives and asked them to stand with us,” he said.

In his letter, according to the Ambassador, the Iranian Minister highlighted that the present moment is a critical test for the credibility of international law.

According to the Ambassador, the UN resolutions in question are specifically targeted at trade linked to Iran’s nuclear facilities. They do not apply to other sectors such as tea, oil, medicine, food, or similar areas of commerce. In that sense, the measures are narrowly focused on nuclear-related cooperation.

The Ambassador stressed that these resolutions do not directly affect Iran’s trade with other countries, including partners like Sri Lanka or larger economies such as China. However, he acknowledged that there are some implications for transportation, since the resolutions permit inspections of Iranian ships and cargo to ensure they do not carry nuclear-related items.

Asked about the current status of Iran–Sri Lanka bilateral relations, he said the two sides maintain “very good” relations on the political front, cooperating with each other in multilateral forums. He added that trade continues and that both sides now await the conduct of the joint economic commission meeting. Cooperation in the cultural sector is also ongoing.