Tehran - BORNA - In an interview, De Zayas expressed serious doubt that the activation of the snapback mechanism by Western countries would achieve its desired effect. He stressed that "Economic sanctions kill," citing a Lancet study that estimates half a million extra deaths worldwide due to lack of medicine and nutrition in targeted countries.
De Zayas argued that this constitutes a "hijacking of the United Nations by hegemonial powers" and that the Security Council acts ultra-vires (beyond its legal authority) when sanctions cause gross human rights violations and impede development, thereby contradicting the UN Charter's call for peace and the sovereign equality of states. He highlighted that the sanctions imposed by the U.S., France, and the UK are an attempt to impose an "anachronistic unipolar, neo-colonial order." He recalled the abuse of UN sanctions against Iraq, which was condemned as a "form of genocide."
The former UN expert declared that the UN has lost its authority and credibility, having failed humanity by allowing Charter violations, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed by the U.S., Israel, and NATO to go unpunished. He said that the system operates according to the geopolitical interests of the "collective West."
In this context, De Zayas suggested that "the time has come for Tehran to withdraw from the NPT by invoking article X," citing the constant threat of attack and specifically mentioning the attacks by the U.S. and Israel on Iran in June 2025 as justification. Article X allows withdrawal if "extraordinary events... have jeopardized the supreme interests of its country."
He also criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for being largely in the service of the "collective West," arguing that a truly impartial agency would focus on the danger posed by Israel’s nuclear arsenal, whose program—unlike Tehran’s—is shrouded in secrecy.
Addressing U.S. pressure on Venezuela and Cuba under the pretext of combating drug trafficking, De Zayas affirmed that such actions violate Article 2(4) of the UN Charter and other international treaties.
He dismissed the "war on drugs" as a "cheap pretext," pointing out the absurdity of targeting Venezuela, a country with strong anti-trafficking laws and no inclusion on the UN Office on Drugs and Crime's list of concerned nations. He condemned the U.S. sinking of vessels in the Caribbean, stating it constitutes "aggression," and noted that even traffickers are protected by the right to life and due process.
De Zayas concluded that the simple reason for targeting Venezuela is its vast natural wealth: "Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world as well as enormous gold reserves and other valuable and rare minerals." He alleged that the U.S. aims to overthrow the government to install a puppet regime that would privatize resource extraction for the benefit of U.S. investors and corporations.
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