Iran Demands UN Condemn US Economic Warfare Campaign

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called on the United Nations Security Council and member states to reject a new U.S. sanctions campaign termed Operation Economic Expulsion, also referred to as Operation Economic Outcast. In a formal letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Araghchi characterized the United States as a rogue state practicing economic terrorism by using secondary sanctions to force third-party countries to abandon lawful economic relations with Iran.

Araghchi argued that these measures violate international law and sovereign equality, specifically citing a 2018 International Court of Justice order requiring the U.S. to guarantee the export of food, medicine, and civil aviation safety equipment. He asserted that the U.S. bears international and potentially individual criminal responsibility for the harm caused to the Iranian people, reserving the right to seek legal accountability, reparations, and compensation for material and moral damages.

The diplomatic escalation follows the launch of the campaign by the Trump administration, which targets Iranian aviation, shipping, gold, technology, and digital assets. President Donald Trump described the strategy as economic warfare and isolation on an unprecedented scale, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the goal is the economic asphyxiation of the Iranian government. This tension follows a cycle of military attacks and a stalled memorandum of understanding regarding navigation in the Hormuz Strait.