Fury erupted at the United Nations on Monday after Iran was handed a leadership slot at a major nuclear treaty conference, drawing sharp condemnation from the United States and public backing from allies including the United Arab Emirates and Australia.
Iran was selected as one of 34 vice presidents at the monthlong review conference for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, a role the U.S. says gives Tehran undeserved legitimacy as questions swirl around its nuclear program.
The 11th Review Conference of the NPT opened at U.N. headquarters in New York with 191 treaty parties gathering for the once-every-five-years meeting to review compliance with the pact designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Iran’s vice president slot came through the Non-Aligned Movement bloc.
U.S. Assistant Secretary for Arms Control and Nonproliferation Christopher Yeaw blasted the decision from the floor.
“Rather than choosing to use this review conference to defend the integrity of the NPT and call Iran to account, we instead elect Iran a vice president,” Yeaw told delegates. “It is beyond shameful and an embarrassment to the credibility of this conference.”
The UAE and Australia publicly backed the American objection, while Britain, France and Germany also voiced concern, widening the coalition pushing back on Iran’s procedural elevation.
The uproar follows another recent fight at the U.N. over Iran’s growing footprint in key bodies. Earlier this month, the United Nations Economic and Social Council nominated Iran to the Committee for Program and Coordination, a panel that helps shape U.N. policy on areas including human rights, women’s rights, disarmament and counterterrorism. In that case, the United States was the only country to formally object, according to prior reporting cited in the debate.
Iran’s envoy Reza Najafi rejected the criticism as “baseless and politically motivated,” accusing the U.S. of hypocrisy and defending Tehran’s right to peaceful nuclear development. Russia also defended Iran, with Ambassador-at-Large Andrey Belousov objecting to what he called politicization of the conference.
🚨 WTF?! The United Nations has chosen the Islamic Republic of IRAN to be a Vice President of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Review Conference
WHAT?
The UN is an actual joke.
Iran is the LAST country that should be in a role like this.
Defund the UN! pic.twitter.com/XFkNQH5kdg
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 29, 2026
U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “is not involved in any way in the election of Member States to leadership roles in various conferences or legislative bodies.”
“Member States are responsible for electing other Member States, and they must be accountable for the results of these elections,” Dujarric said.
Dujarric urged delegates to keep the focus on the core mission of the conference.
“We strongly encourage all Member States participating in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference to focus on what is most important: stopping the spread and threat of nuclear weapons, which remains a global threat,” he said.
Iran’s appointment comes as Western governments and the International Atomic Energy Agency have raised alarms over Iran’s enrichment of uranium to near weapons-grade levels and disputes over inspections. Tehran insists its program is civilian.
Critics say the dispute underscores a broader credibility problem at the U.N., where geopolitical blocs can elevate countries facing serious scrutiny into positions of procedural authority even at conferences meant to enforce the rules.
Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, said Iran’s selection fits what he called a wider pattern.
“This is part of a disturbing trend,” Neuer said. “Iran has been accumulating senior roles across the U.N. system, from human rights bodies to key committees. Each appointment chips away at the credibility of international institutions, reinforcing the perception that political deal-making outweighs basic standards of conduct.”
The last NPT review conference in 2022 failed to produce a consensus outcome after Russia blocked a final document, highlighting how great power divisions have increasingly stalled the process, according to The Associated Press.
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