U.N. elects Iran, leading state-sponsor of terrorism, Vice-President of the General Assembly

The General Assembly today elected by acclamation Dennis Francis (Trinidad and Tobago) to serve as President of its seventy-eighth session...The Assembly then elected the following Vice-Presidents of its plenary:...Iran... Those elected join the five permanent members of the Security Council — China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and the United States — which serve annually as Assembly Vice-Presidents.

Speaking afterwards to dissociate himself from Iran’s election as Vice-President, the representative of the United States noted that Tehran’s record in defying Security Council arms embargos, violating human rights and exporting violence and weapons speaks for itself.

'Iran cannot act as an honest broker in its role as Vice-President of the General Assembly because it has shown time and time again that it does not seek to enhance global peace and security but rather works against it,' he said, pledging that his Government will continue to oppose that country’s leadership throughout the United Nations system.

The representative of Israel similarly dissociated himself from Iran’s appointment as Vice-President as he spotlighted Tehran’s activities, which pose a threat to international peace and security. 'Iran repeatedly threatens the State of Israel using harsh anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric,' he added, emphasizing: 'It is totally unacceptable that the leadership of a Member State of the United Nations would call another Member State a cancerous growth and publicly call for its annihilation. This is a blatant violation of the Charter of the United Nations.'..."