Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Condemns US and Netanyahu
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi on Sunday sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the United States, responding to Netanyahu's remarks welcoming the removal of International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan. In a post on X, Gharibabadi condemned the US for attempting to act against the court after Netanyahu noted commitments by Washington to oppose the ICC.
"The Prime Minister of the Zionist regime, the accused with an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, brazenly declares that the U.S. Secretary of State has pledged to act against the Court pursuing him," Gharibabadi stated. "They call the Court 'corrupt' because it dared to pursue Washington's wanted criminal."
Netanyahu's Statement on US Commitment
Gharibabadi's remarks followed a statement posted on X by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he highlighted a conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Netanyahu asserted that Washington had pledged to take firm action against the ICC. "Last night, I spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He once again reaffirmed America's determination to act forcefully against this institution--an institution that undermines justice, attacks democratic and sovereign nations, and seeks to subordinate their security to the decisions of unaccountable and corrupt officials in The Hague," Netanyahu wrote, describing the development as "a very positive development."
Netanyahu Welcomes Removal of Karim Khan
Netanyahu also welcomed the decision by ICC member states to remove Karim Khan after allegations of sexual harassment surfaced against the prosecutor. Netanyahu claimed Khan had pursued arrest warrants against him and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant as a political manoeuvre to deflect from internal misconduct inquiries. "I welcome the decision, supported by an overwhelming majority of countries, to remove Karim Khan, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. This decision exposes the truth," Netanyahu wrote. "Karim Khan was accused of sexually harassing women who worked under him. It was precisely as these allegations emerged that he canceled his planned visit to Israel, abandoned his previous commitment to thoroughly examine Israel's independent judicial system, and suddenly moved to pursue arrest warrants against me and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant."
Netanyahu further stated that Khan used the arrest warrants to "divert attention from the allegations against him and to rally Israel's enemies around him as a political shield," adding that the decision by member states tore that shield away and exposed "the profound injustice and corruption that have infected both the Office of the Prosecutor and the International Criminal Court itself."
ICC's Assembly of States Parties Votes to Dismiss Khan
Karim Khan was officially removed from his position as the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday, July 24. Following an emergency session at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the ICC's Assembly of States Parties voted by a majority of 82 out of 125 member states to dismiss him over allegations of serious sexual misconduct and breach of duty. This development has sparked reactions from various world leaders, with Iran and other nations criticizing the US stance on the ICC.
