Iran Continues Successful Lobbies for Security Council Seat

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian officials embarked on an intense lobbying campaign to gather enough support to gain a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Western nations, Asia, Latin America and Africa are vying for five of the 10 non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council. Iran, in competition with Japan for the Asian seat, must secure support from 128 of the 192 UN member states in votes Friday to gain the seat.

Many countries, including Muslim states and members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), are supporting the move in public. Tajikistan has backed the measure while Pakistani officials in July said they would favor the proposal.

Chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, last week approached Japanese officials on the possibility of swapping an Iranian vote for a possible permanent Japanese seat in exchange for support for Iran’s bid.

Tehran has submitted documents in support of its position, saying it has played a “recognizable and undeniable” role in regional security matters, adding it is “firmly committed to pursuing the realization of the goal of a world free from weapons of mass destruction.”