The secretary-general of the Habilian Association, speaking at a ceremony marking the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, said more than 23,000 Iranian citizens had been killed by terrorist groups. He strongly criticized what he described as Western double standards and called actions against the Iranian people clear examples of “state terrorism by the United States and the Israeli regime.”
According to Habilian, which represents families of Iranian victims of terrorism, the ceremony was jointly organized by the Foreign Ministry’s Institute for Political and International Studies and the Habilian Association, with the participation of victims’ families and a number of officials.
Seyed Mohammad Javad Hasheminejad, secretary-general of the Habilian Association, referred to the United Nations’ designation of August 21 as the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism and said: “For nearly half a century, the Iranian people have experienced the bitter reality of terrorism and serious human-rights violations. Since the early days following the victory of the Islamic Revolution, more than 23,000 Iranians have been killed by terrorist and separatist groups that, in our view, have consistently enjoyed Western support. Today, these organizations maintain bases in Europe and the United States with open support.”
U.S. and Israeli ‘State Terrorism’
Turning to what he described as state terrorism, Hasheminejad said: “In addition to terrorist groups, state terrorism by the United States and the Israeli regime has also targeted our country and Iranian citizens both inside and outside Iran. The shooting down of an Iranian passenger Airbus by the United States, unilateral sanctions that we regard as economic terrorism, and the assassination and killing of at least 50 Iranian citizens by the Israeli regime since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution are clear examples of this state terrorism.”
Referring to Israel’s actions in Gaza, he added: “The regrettable silence of international institutions regarding Gaza, as well as the two recent wars imposed on Iran, which led to the deaths of officials, scientists and thousands of innocent people, including children in Minab, clearly demonstrated the extent to which human-rights standards can become politicized, unethical and instrumentalized by dominant powers.”
Criticism of the UN Office’s Absence from the Tehran Ceremony
Hasheminejad also criticized international institutions, saying: “One concrete example of these double standards is the conduct of the United Nations office in Tehran. Although today’s observance is itself a United Nations occasion and the organization’s representative had been invited, none of its senior officials attended the ceremony honoring victims of terrorism in the host country.”
Annual Report on Terrorism in Iran 2025 Unveiled
The latest edition of Habilian’s “Annual Report on Terrorism in Iran” was also unveiled during the ceremony. Citing the report’s statistics, Hasheminejad said: “In 2025, more than 50 Iranian citizens were killed in 26 terrorist attacks. Although this represents a significant decline compared with the previous year, these figures still show that our country continues to suffer from terrorism, and the responsible institutions must take the necessary steps to sustain this downward trend.”
At the conclusion of his remarks, Hasheminejad thanked Dr. Khatibzadeh, head of the Foreign Ministry’s Institute for Political and International Studies, for hosting the event. He also emphasized the willingness of families of terrorism victims to work more closely with Iran’s diplomatic apparatus, adding: “If the relevant institutions are determined to do so, drawing on the human-rights potential and testimony of families of terrorism victims in international forums can provide effective and proactive tools for the country’s diplomacy.”