UN chief blasted as ‘abjectly tone-deaf’ over message to Iran marking revolution anniversary

UNITED NATIONS: U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres sent a congratulatory connection to Iran marking the day of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, a determination that drew crisp disapproval from anti-regime Iranian voices and quality rights advocates.

In a missive addressed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Guterres "extended his warmest congratulations connected the National Day of the Islamic Republic of Iran," describing specified anniversaries arsenic an accidental to bespeak connected a country’s way and contributions to the planetary community, according to Iranian authorities and determination reporting published Wednesday.

The connection comes weeks aft the U.N.’s apical quality rights assemblage condemned Iran implicit abuses tied to a convulsive crackdown connected anti-government protests and mandated further probe into alleged violations, with immoderate reports citing casualty figures that could scope 30,000, pending verification.

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U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres speaks astatine the High-Level Segment of the 55th league of the Human Rights Council successful Geneva, Switzerland, connected Feb. 26, 2024. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)

Furthermore, according to the NGO U.N. Watch, Iran’s overseas minister, Abbas Araghchi, is expected to code the U.N. Human Rights Council connected Feb. 23.

Against that backdrop, critics said the secretary-general’s congratulatory connection risked sending a conflicting signal.

"The UN Secretary-General’s congratulatory connection is not simply diplomatic regular — it is abjectly tone-deaf," said Iran expert Banafesh Zand. "At a clip erstwhile the Iranian radical proceed to endure executions, repression, and systemic maltreatment astatine the hands of the Islamic Republic, offering ceremonial congratulations to the architects of that suffering reads arsenic a motivation failure."

Zand added that specified gestures "erode [the U.N.’s] credibility and deepen the coiled for those inactive warring for state wrong Iran."

Andrew Ghalili, argumentation manager astatine the National Union for Democracy successful Iran (NUFDI), said the connection amounted to legitimizing a repressive system.

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Cars pain successful a thoroughfare during a protestation implicit the illness of the currency’s worth successful Tehran, Iran, Jan. 8, 2026. (Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)

"The United Nations is legitimizing a authorities built connected repression, executions and the systematic demolition of basal freedoms," Ghalili said. "Offering celebratory designation to the Islamic Republic connected the day of its gyration ignores the bloodshed, the repression of protesters and the ongoing hostage-taking of guiltless people."

Human rights groups person repeatedly warned that impunity has enabled ongoing abuses successful Iran, urging U.N. subordinate states to prosecute accountability for what they picture arsenic systemic violations and wide killings of protesters.

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the Secretary-General, told Fox News Digital during a property briefing that the connection to Tehran was portion of a long-standing U.N. protocol.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi holds a associated property league with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan successful Istanbul, Turkey, connected Jan. 30, 2026. (Arif Hudaverdi Yaman/Anadolu via Getty Images)

"The missive that came retired from the Secretary-General is simply a modular letter, "Every year, each subordinate authorities gets the nonstop aforesaid letter… congratulating them connected the nationalist vacation and conveying champion wishes to the radical of that country."

The spokesperson added that akin letters were sent the aforesaid time to different countries marking nationalist holidays and "should not beryllium interpreted… arsenic an endorsement of immoderate policies whitethorn beryllium enactment successful spot by the government." He said the connection "doesn’t alteration the Secretary-General’s view" connected Iran, noting Guterres has antecedently spoken retired against the crackdown and violence.

On reports that Iran’s overseas curate is expected to code the Human Rights Council aboriginal this month, the spokesperson said the substance falls nether the council’s authority.

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"That’s a determination of the Human Rights Council," helium said. "This is simply a rank organization. Every subordinate authorities has a close to code legislative bodies… It’s not wrong the Secretariat’s authorization to barroom subordinate states from addressing a legislative body."