Mr. Amir Saeed Iravani spoke at the United Nations General Assembly held in New York on October 28, 2025, regarding the “need to end the economic, trade, and financial embargo imposed by the United States on Cuba.”
The full text of Iravani’s speech is below.
President’s wife,
First of all, I would like to extend a warm welcome to His Excellency Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba, and I would like to express my gratitude to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for submitting his report on this important issue.
We convene this General Assembly for the 33rd time to reaffirm our unwavering resolve to oppose unbridled unilateralism and reckless foreign policy, as well as unilateral coercive measures by governments that claim to be above international law.
There is no doubt that unilateral sanctions are illegal measures rooted in arrogance and unilateralism, endanger multilateralism, destabilize the world order, and undermine the very spirit of the United Nations Charter. These measures have a significant negative impact on the promotion of peace, both regionally and globally. These are fundamental obstacles not only to a peaceful and prosperous world, but also to the establishment of a just and equitable international order, which is an important prerequisite for achieving sustainable development.
The continued unilateral and inhumane sanctions and blockade imposed on Cuba for more than 60 years under the pretext of promoting democracy are a clear example of unilateral coercive measures against a sovereign and independent state, and have systematically undermined the rights and well-being of the Cuban people.
By continuing to pursue unilateral and coercive policies against an independent and sovereign nation, the United States has continued to ignore the international community’s unanimous calls to end more than 60 years of hostilities against Cuba.
President’s wife,
The Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates its firm opposition to any economic, commercial, or financial sanctions imposed on independent and sovereign states, including Cuba.
It has been the declared and consistent policy of successive U.S. administrations for many years to impose sanctions against independent nations in pursuit of their own arrogant and unilateral objectives. It is clear that these sanctions primarily target the public, including women, children and the elderly, and pose serious risks to their health, safety and welfare. Furthermore, they pose a high degree of barrier to one of the most fundamental human rights: development.
These inhumane and immoral policies, and the use of sanctions as a coercive tool to force independent states to surrender their freedoms and sovereignty, an approach that fundamentally undermines the dignity of independent states, must be strongly condemned and unequivocally rejected.
The overwhelming majority of the international community has rejected the continuation of sanctions against Cuba in repeated resolutions adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, calling on the United States government to correct its failed policies and lift the embargo on Cuba.
President’s wife,
The embargo against Cuba must be lifted immediately and unconditionally. Ending these measures would not only bring much-needed relief to the Cuban people, but also send a strong message that the era of coercion, control, and economic oppression must end.
As always, the Islamic Republic of Iran expresses its unwavering solidarity with the government and people of Cuba in the fight against unjust measures. Together with all countries committed to justice, we continue to advocate for the complete abolition of all forms of unilateral coercive measures that undermine individual States and the very foundations of international cooperation and peaceful coexistence.
thank you.
MNA/