In a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Araqchi drew attention to the US announcement on August 24, 2026, of what Washington calls “Operation Economic Outcast”, describing it as the latest act of US state terrorism against Iran.

He said the US, after failing to achieve its objectives through two wars of aggression against Iran in 2025 and 2026 and failing to persuade other countries to join those wars, is now seeking to force independent states to alter their lawful economic relations with Iran through threats and coercion.

Araqchi said the declared objective of the operation is to end legitimate economic relations with Iran through threats of secondary sanctions and exclusion from the US financial system. He argued that such measures amount to an attempt to impose US laws and foreign-policy objectives extraterritorially and violate the principle of sovereign equality enshrined in Article 2(1) of the UN Charter, as well as states’ right to freely determine their economic and foreign policies.

The Iranian foreign minister further warned that the measures target civilians indiscriminately by restricting access to food, medicine, medical equipment, energy and other necessities, thereby imposing collective punishment and harming fundamental rights including the rights to life, health, food and an adequate standard of living.

He said the “criminal nature” of the US operation and the potential individual criminal responsibility of those ordering, directing, facilitating or knowingly implementing such measures should be examined.

Araqchi also said the US campaign constitutes a clear deviation from a 2018 order by the International Court of Justice requiring Washington to ensure the unhindered export to Iran of medicines and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities, and items and services needed for the safety of civil aviation. He urged the Security Council and UN members to condemn and reject unilateral coercive measures and secondary sanctions aimed at forcing independent states to change their lawful economic and trade relations, refuse to recognize or implement such measures, and demand that Washington immediately end its threats and coercive actions.

The top Iranian diplomat also called on Guterres to assess and report on the humanitarian and human-rights consequences of the measures, including their impact on civilians’ access to food, medicine, healthcare, energy, transportation and humanitarian assistance, and to ensure that relevant evidence is independently assessed, documented and preserved.

Araqchi said Iran reserves the right to pursue all available avenues for accountability, compensation and redress, stressing that the US bears international responsibility, including an obligation to provide full reparation for material and moral damage, and requested that his letter be circulated as an official document of the UN Security Council.