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Iran President Rouhani's 2013 UN Address - Full Video, Text

By President Hassan Rouhani | Last updated: Oct 1, 2013 - 11:46:14 AM

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Iran's President Hassan Rouhani addressed the 68th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York on Wednesday, September 25, 2013.

The following is the summary text of President Rouhani's UN address courtesy, President.IR: | Download UN Statement (PDF)

“Aggressive moves have been devastating almost nowhere in the world as grave as they have been in West of Asia and North of Africa,” he said. 

“Military intervention in Afghanistan, Saddam Hussein's imposed war against Iran, occupation of Kuwait, military intervention against Iraq and aggressive and suppressive behavior against the people of Palestine, assassination of political personalities and ordinary people in Iran and bomb explosions in regional countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon are examples of the aggressive moves during the past three decades in this region,” the president noted. 

“The way the oppressed people of Palestine are being treated is nothing but systematic aggression. The territory of Palestine is occupied. The basic rights of the Palestinians are catastrophically breached and they are deprived of (the right to) return to their home, their birth place, and access to motherland. The criminal acts observed against the innocent people of Palestine are putting on display materialized aggression in describing which the word apartheid is too weak a world,” President Rouhani added. 

Focusing on Syria, Dr.Rouhani noted, “The human catastrophe in Syria is a painful sample of the catastrophic expansion of aggression and extremism in our region. Ever since the beginning of the crisis when some of the regional and international players began pouring weaponry and information and strengthening the extremist groups and militarizing that crisis, we emphasized that the Syrian crisis has no military solution.” 

He added, “It is not possible to pursue strategic and expansionist objectives and disturb regional balances and equations by hiding behind humanitarian words.” 

“The shared objective of the international community must be to put an end to the massacre of the innocent people. While denouncing any kind of use of chemical weapons, we welcome Syria's acceptance of the chemical weapons ban convention and believe the extremist and terrorist groups access to these weapons is the greatest threat with which the region is faced and must be heeded,” said Dr.Rouhani. 

“Meanwhile, illegal and incompetent resorting to threats, or use of force only leads to expansion of aggressions and crises in the region,” said the president. 

He said that terrorism and killing the innocent people is the peak of extremism and aggression. 

“Terrorism is a harsh nuisance that is all-encompassing and knows no borders. But meanwhile aggressions and extremism under the title of campaign against terrorism, including taking advantage of drones against innocent people, too, is condemned,” President Rouhani said. 

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani addressed the 68th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York on Wednesday, September 25, 2013.

President Rouhani said, “I have to speak about the assassination of the Iranian nuclear scientists here by the criminals. What was their crime for which they were targeted by the terrorists? The question we must ask the United Nations and the Security Council is whether the terrorists were condemned?” 

“We should not forget millions of Iraqis who were harmed and killed by sanctions imposed on them under the legal guise prescribed by bodies and still a considerable number of them have to suffer throughout the world,” said President Rouhani.

President underlined that these sanctions are violent and they do not have smart or non-smart or unilateral or multilateral. 

“These sanctions violate the inalienable human rights, including right to peace, right to development, right to access health, right to education and more importantly right to live,” President Rouhani said. 

The Iranian president underlined that the outcome of these sanctions will be warmongering and destruction of humans. 

“Iran is looking for solution to problems and not creating problems,” President Rouhani reiterated. 

President Rouhani said that the flames of sanctions do not only affect the victims of sanctions, but it is also harmful for the economy and life of the people of the societies of the countries that have imposed sanctions. 

“Let me point to Iran’s nuclear case, as Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution (Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei) has put it admitting Iran’s natural, legal and inalienable right is the easiest way to resolve this issue. This is not a political motto, but it is based on a deep knowledge of Iran’s nuclear technology, the international conditions … and the necessity for finding common goals and interests for reaching a common understanding and common security,’ he added. 

The Iranian president said that in other words, Iran and other regional players should pursue two common objectives as two inseparable parts of political solution to Iran’s nuclear case.

“In these years a dominant voice has been heard repeatedly: "military option is on the table. But allow me today to say that instead peace is within reach. Therefore, in the name of the Islamic Republic of Iran and as a first step I propose the UN to put on its agenda the plan for ‘world against aggression and extremism,” President Rouhani said. 

President Rouhani encouraged the entire countries, international organizations, and civil foundations to organize new efforts aimed at leading the world towards peace and security. 

He underlined that Instead of the incompetent coalition for war in different parts of the world we need to concentrate on coalition for sustainable peace, throughout the world. 

“Today the Islamic Republic of Iran is calling on you and on the entire international community to take a step forward; inviting the mankind against aggression and extremism. We must accept (responsibility) and open a horizon here today in which peace would replace war, understanding would replace aggression, advancement would replace bloodshed, justice would replace discrimination, welfare would replace poverty, and freedom would prevail all over the world instead of despotism,” said President Rouhani. 

He recited a verse by the internationally renowned Iranian poet, Ferdowsi, who said: Try your best to do well; to be the harbinger of spring when you see chilly weather. 

He said that despite the entire problems, I am deeply hopeful for a bright future. 

“If there would be a global coalition against aggression and extremism, I would have no doubt that we would have a bright future before us. Moderate approach would brighten up the world. My hope, in addition to my personal and national experience, takes roots in the shared belief of the entire divine faiths that believe the eventual faith of the world is brightness and wellbeing of the mankind.” 

President Rouhani ended his UN address reciting a holy Qur’anic verse: 

“And We wrote in David’s Book that the blessed would be the inheritors of the Earth.”