Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized France and other Western countries for condemning Tehran’s handling of internal protests, according to a report published on August 13. In a post on X, Araghchi said countries such as France should stop lecturing the world about human rights and international law, calling their double standards clear and embarrassing.

He accused Western governments of speaking out about Iran’s human rights situation while taking no effective action over what he described as Israeli war crimes and human rights violations in the Middle East. Araghchi also said Western support for Israel’s alleged “genocide” in Gaza and aggression against Iran had undermined their claims to moral standing.

His comments followed a French announcement on Wednesday that the European Union and 20 other countries had issued a joint statement condemning death sentences for protesters in Iran. The statement urged Iran to take meaningful measures to respect human rights, end the use of the death penalty, and release people arbitrarily detained. The remarks came amid tensions between Tehran and Western countries over internal protests and the government’s response.