U.N. envoy Danny Danon tells Secretary-General to retract comparison of Israel to Hezbollah, accuses Iran of extorting ships

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, used a U.N. press briefing to sharply rebuke U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and to accuse Iran of using maritime harassment to extract payments from commercial shipping.

Danon addressed the General Assembly by name-checking the U.N. Secretary-General's earlier comment that "Israel and Hezbollah have ' helped each other to destabilize Lebanon," calling that claim "simply false" and a "complete distortion of reality." He said the Secretary-General's comparison between "a sovereign state and a terrorist organization" was "shameful" and demanded: "Retract your comments. Correct the record. Do your job." The statement was presented as Danon's direct response to Guterres's remarks.

On maritime security, Danon warned countries in the Assembly that activity in the Strait of Hormuz threatened global commerce. He accused Iran of "trying to choke one of the world's most important waterways," saying Iranian forces "block ships" and "harass them," then "name a price" for passage. Danon described the practice as "economic terrorism" and cited reports that Iran charged $1 million per ship and that, according to his account, the price rose to $2 million this week. He asked Assembly members to disclose whether they had signed secret agreements with Iran and "what they were willing to pay in order to pass in the straits."

Danon also urged a stronger Security Council response, saying a "clear resolution" should address enriched uranium, ballistic missiles and proxies. He noted a recent veto of a pared-down Security Council text and called for greater transparency by member states he said had negotiated behind closed doors.

Reporters pressed Danon in the subsequent question period about implementation and the risk of resumed hostilities; his answers reiterated the speech's themes and framed his accusations as the Israeli government's positions. The briefing did not include statements from U.N. officials, Iranian representatives or independent verification of the payments Danon cited.

Danon's comments to the Assembly amounted to a forceful diplomatic protest at the U.N. podium and an appeal to member states to make transparent any agreements with Iran related to maritime passage; the remarks contained multiple sharp accusations but no documentary evidence presented during the briefing.