Iran FM accuses West of ‘shameful hypocrisy’Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has sharply criticised France and other Western countries over their stance on human rights and Iran’s treatment of protesters.
Araghchi accused Western governments of adopting double standards by condemning Tehran over its response to domestic unrest while, in his view, failing to take meaningful action over Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the wider Middle East.
In a statement on X, the Iranian foreign minister said countries such as France should stop giving lectures to others on human rights and international law.
He described what he called Western hypocrisy as both “clear and shameful,” arguing that their policies had undermined their claims of moral authority.
Araghchi also criticised Western support for Israel, saying that backing Israel during the Gaza conflict and what he described as aggression against Iran had damaged the credibility of Western governments on human rights issues.
His comments came after the European Union and 20 other countries issued a joint statement expressing concern over the deaths of protesters in Iran.
The countries called on the Iranian authorities to take meaningful measures to protect human rights. They also urged Tehran to end the use of the death penalty and release people who had allegedly been detained arbitrarily.
Araghchi rejected the criticism and questioned the consistency of Western governments’ positions on human rights.
The dispute highlights growing tensions between Iran and Western nations over the treatment of protesters, the use of capital punishment and the broader conflict in the Middle East.
Iran has repeatedly accused Western governments of interfering in its internal affairs and applying selective standards to international human rights issues.
Western governments, meanwhile, have continued to raise concerns about the treatment of protesters and detainees in Iran.
