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UNITED NATIONS: U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres sent a congratulatory message to Iran marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, a move that drew sharp criticism from anti-regime Iranian voices and human rights advocates.
In a letter addressed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Guterres “extended his warmest congratulations on the National Day of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” describing such anniversaries as an opportunity to reflect on a country’s path and contributions to the international community, according to Iranian state and regional reporting published Wednesday.
The message comes weeks after the U.N.’s top human rights body condemned Iran over abuses tied to a violent crackdown on anti-government protests and mandated further investigation into alleged violations, with some reports citing casualty figures that could reach 30,000, pending verification.
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U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres speaks at the High-Level Segment of the 55th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb. 26, 2024. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
Furthermore, according to the NGO U.N. Watch, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, is expected to address the U.N. Human Rights Council on Feb. 23.
Against that backdrop, critics said the secretary-general’s congratulatory message risked sending a conflicting signal.
“The UN Secretary-General’s congratulatory message is not merely diplomatic routine — it is abjectly tone-deaf,” said Iran analyst Banafesh Zand. “At a time when the Iranian people continue to endure executions, repression, and systemic abuse at the hands of the Islamic Republic, offering formal congratulations to the architects of that suffering reads as a moral failure.”
Zand added that such gestures “erode [the U.N.’s] credibility and deepen the wound for those still fighting for freedom inside Iran.”
Andrew Ghalili, policy director at the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI), said the message amounted to legitimizing a repressive system.
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Cars burn in a street during a protest over the collapse of the currency’s value in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 8, 2026. (Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)
“The United Nations is legitimizing a regime built on repression, executions and the systematic destruction of basic freedoms,” Ghalili said. “Offering celebratory recognition to the Islamic Republic on the anniversary of its revolution ignores the bloodshed, the repression of protesters and the ongoing hostage-taking of innocent people.”
Human rights groups have repeatedly warned that impunity has enabled ongoing abuses in Iran, urging U.N. member states to pursue accountability for what they describe as systemic violations and mass killings of protesters.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the Secretary-General, told Digital during a press briefing that the message to Tehran was part of a long-standing U.N. protocol.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi holds a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Istanbul, Turkey, on Jan. 30, 2026. (Arif Hudaverdi Yaman/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“The letter that came out from the Secretary-General is a standard letter, “Every year, each member state gets the exact same letter… congratulating them on the national holiday and conveying best wishes to the people of that country.”
The spokesperson added that similar letters were sent the same day to other countries marking national holidays and “should not be interpreted… as an endorsement of whatever policies may be put in place by the government.” He said the message “doesn’t change the Secretary-General’s view” on Iran, noting Guterres has previously spoken out against the crackdown and violence.
On reports that Iran’s foreign minister is expected to address the Human Rights Council later this month, the spokesperson said the matter falls under the council’s authority.
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“That’s a decision of the Human Rights Council,” he said. “This is a membership organization. Every member state has a right to address legislative bodies… It’s not within the Secretariat’s authority to bar member states from addressing a legislative body.”
