Tehran - Iranian Minsiter of Agriculture Gholamreza Nouri has penned a letter to Dr. QU Dongyu , the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, to bring to his urgent attention the grave situation confronting the Islamic Republic of Iran as a result of ongoing acts of aggression by the United States and Israel.

 

The following is the full text of the letter:

 

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

11 March 2026

I am writing to bring to your urgent attention the grave situation confronting the Islamic Republic of Iran as a result of ongoing acts of aggression by the United States and Israel, and to respectfully request the immediate attention and intervention of the Food and Agriculture Organization.

 

One week ago, on Saturday, February 28th, the military forces of the United States of America and the occupying Israeli regime launched a brazen military aggression against our country, in blatant disregard and flagrant violation of all international norms and treaties.

 

By assassinating the Supreme Leader - a high-ranking Religious Authority-  military commanders, as well as more than 165 children in an elementary school, and also by bombing and shelling hospitals, schools, public places, and residential areas, and killing innocent civilians over the past 10 days, the American and Israeli aggressors have demonstrated that they adhere to no international norms and humanitarian and ethical principles.

 

The aggressors are now expanding the conflict by targeting Iran's strategic infrastructure. Their clear objective is to disrupt the production, supply, and distribution network of our agricultural and livestock products. This network is not only crucial for ensuring the food security of approximately 90 million Iranians but also plays a vital role in meeting the needs of an estimated 300 million people in West Asia and Eurasia, countries that are Iran's economic and trade partners.

 

The direct attacks on road, air, and sea transportation routes constitute a clear violation of international treaties prohibiting the use of food as a weapon. These actions directly endanger the livelihoods, nutrition, and overall health of millions of families. This behavior mirrors the brutal genocide and crimes against humanity committed by the occupying Israeli regime in Gaza over the past three years. The international community's silence in the face of those atrocities was met with shock and protest from freedom-seekers around the world.

 

Today, we are witnessing with deep regret a similar silence, discrimination, and double standard from international organizations and forums in the face of this blatant aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran. We firmly believe and expect that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will take a clear and principled stand, condemn this aggression through official channels, and issue the strongest possible warnings to the perpetrators of this war about its dangerous and far-reaching consequences for regional and global food security.

 

As the flames of war engulf the entire West Asia and Persian Gulf region, the FAO's role is more critical than ever. We urge your esteemed organization to proactively engage in regional and international forums to play a more effective role in halting this war and mitigating its devastating impact on agricultural production and distribution, agribusinesses, the food industry, trade, and the broader agricultural economy.

 

In closing, I express the fervent hope that the dark shadow of war and aggression will recede from every corner of the world. It is time for warmongers, aggressors, and occupiers to lay down their arms and uphold the conventions, treaties, and international rules that guarantee the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of all nations, free from the constraints of self-serving and obsolete geopolitical polarizations.

 

I wish peace, health, and security for all the people of the world.

Please accept, Exellency, the assurance of my highest consideration.

 

Gholamreza Nouri

Minister of Agriculture