Haley Urges UN to Confront Iran’s ‘Destructive Conduct’

US Ambassador Nikki Haley addresses a UN Security Council meeting on North Korea, Monday Sept. 4, 2017 at UN headquarters. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
US Ambassador Nikki Haley addresses a UN Security Council meeting on North Korea, Monday Sept. 4, 2017 at UN headquarters. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
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Haley Urges UN to Confront Iran’s ‘Destructive Conduct’

US Ambassador Nikki Haley addresses a UN Security Council meeting on North Korea, Monday Sept. 4, 2017 at UN headquarters. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
US Ambassador Nikki Haley addresses a UN Security Council meeting on North Korea, Monday Sept. 4, 2017 at UN headquarters. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

US Ambassador Nikki Haley urged the UN Security Council on Wednesday to adopt the Trump administration's comprehensive approach to Iran and address all aspects of its "destructive conduct" — not just the 2015 nuclear deal.

She told the council that Iran "has repeatedly thumbed its nose" at council resolutions aimed at addressing Iranian support for terrorism and regional conflicts and has illegally supplied weapons to armed groups in Yemen and Hezbollah in Syria and Lebanon.

Haley cited a long list of Iranian violations, including threatening freedom of navigation, cyberattacks, imprisonment of journalists and other foreigners, and abuses of its people by persecuting some religions.

According to the Associated Press, she called Iran's most threatening act its repeated ballistic missile launches.

"This should be a clarion call to everyone in the United Nations," Haley said, warning that when Tehran starts down the path of ballistic missiles, “we will soon have another North Korea on our hands."

Haley said the Security Council has the opportunity to change its policy toward Iran.

"I sincerely hope it will take this chance to defend not only the resolutions but peace, security and human rights in Iran," she said.

"Judging Iran by the narrow confines of the nuclear deal misses the true nature of the threat," Haley stressed. "Iran must be judged in totality of its aggressive, destabilizing and unlawful behavior.”



ICC Chief Prosecutor Wants Israeli Objections over Netanyahu Warrant to be Rejected

Israeli Prime Minister and Chairman of the Likud Party, Benjamin Netanyahu, makes an address. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
Israeli Prime Minister and Chairman of the Likud Party, Benjamin Netanyahu, makes an address. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
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ICC Chief Prosecutor Wants Israeli Objections over Netanyahu Warrant to be Rejected

Israeli Prime Minister and Chairman of the Likud Party, Benjamin Netanyahu, makes an address. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
Israeli Prime Minister and Chairman of the Likud Party, Benjamin Netanyahu, makes an address. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor has told judges that Israeli objections to the investigation into the 13-month war in Gaza should be rejected.

Karim Khan submitted his formal response late Monday to an appeal by Israel over The Hague-based court’s jurisdiction after judges issued arrest warrants last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas’ military chief, accusing them of crimes against humanity in connection with the war in Gaza.

The embattled Israeli leader, who is also facing corruption charges in his homeland, called the arrest warrant “ a black day in the history of nations ” and vowed to fight the allegations, The AP reported.

Individuals cannot contest an arrest warrant directly, but the state of Israel can object to the entire investigation. Israel argued in a December filing that it could look into allegations against its leaders on its own and that continuing to investigate Israelis was a violation of state sovereignty.

The ICC was established in 2002 as the permanent court of last resort to prosecute individuals responsible for the world’s most heinous atrocities — war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression.

The court’s 125 member states include Palestine, Ukraine, Canada and every country in the European Union, but dozens of countries don’t accept the court’s jurisdiction, including Israel, the United States, Russia and China.

In Khan’s combined 55-page response, he says the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, allowed it to prosecute crimes that take place in the territory of member states, regardless of where the perpetrators hail from.

The judges are expected to render a decision in the coming months.