Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, has rejected criticism by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf of Lana Nusseibeh’s bid to become UN Secretary-General. In a post on X on Sunday, 25 October 2026, Gargash said Ghalibaf’s position “lacks objectivity” and overlooks the purpose of the United Nations.
Key points
- The UAE formally nominated Lana Nusseibeh, Minister of State, for UN Secretary-General on 21 October 2026.
- On 25 October, Ghalibaf criticised the nomination in a post on X.
- Gargash replied the same day, saying objective debate about her vision and qualifications is legitimate and welcome.
- Nusseibeh is due to take part in an interactive dialogue with UN member states on 27 October.
What did Gargash say?
Gargash said objective debate about Nusseibeh’s vision, competence and candidacy for the top international post is legitimate and welcome. He added that it is natural for the nomination of a professional figure known for bridging differences and putting diplomacy first to draw objections from some hardline voices.
“However, the position expressed by Mr Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, lacks objectivity and overlooks the fact that the United Nations was established to promote dialogue and resolve disputes, not to perpetuate hostilities and settle scores.”
He ended his post by saying: “I hope these posts are the work of Mr Ghalibaf’s account manager, rather than an expression of his personal views.” The response was also reported by Khaleej Times.
What did Ghalibaf say?
In a post on X, written in English, Ghalibaf likened Nusseibeh to a fox that “is updating the LinkedIn profile to apply for the henhouse guard job”. He said the bid was meant “to clear the diplomatic runway for Greater Israel project and whitewash a systematic genocide” in Gaza. He attached a screenshot of a France 24 report from February 2024 on remarks Nusseibeh made at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, in which she defended the UAE’s ties with Israel. The post was also reported by WANA.
Who is Lana Nusseibeh?
According to WAM, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan submitted the nomination in a letter to the presidents of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council. Nusseibeh served as the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2013 to 2024. During that period she was a Vice-President of the General Assembly and President of the Executive Board of UN Women, and she twice served as President of the Security Council during the UAE’s 2022 to 2023 term.
In her vision statement, Nusseibeh said she has taken a leave of absence from her position as Minister of State in the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She said she would use quiet diplomacy to keep disputes from escalating and would focus on “first agreements” such as a local truce, an exchange of prisoners or a corridor for food and medicine. If appointed, she would be the first woman to lead the UN since its founding in 1945 and the second Secretary-General from the Arab world after Egypt’s Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Khaleej Times noted.
How is the next UN Secretary-General chosen?
The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. Under the UN Charter, a recommendation needs at least 9 of the Council’s 15 votes and no veto from any of the five permanent members. The Council has held six informal straw polls so far. In the latest, on 16 October, Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan came first with 9 “encourage”, 5 “discourage” and 1 “no opinion” votes, PassBlue reported. Two of the “discourage” votes came from permanent members, which could stop her from winning the Council’s recommendation. That poll took place before Nusseibeh was nominated.
António Guterres’s second term ends on 31 December 2026, and the next Secretary-General will take office in January 2027.
What happens next?
Nusseibeh’s interactive dialogue with member states is scheduled for Tuesday, 27 October, at 3pm New York time (11pm UAE time), according to the UN selection page. It will be broadcast live on UN Web TV. For background on the issue, read our report on UAE and Iran relations.
Main image: Lana Nusseibeh at the European Commission, 15 October 2024. Photo: Lukasz Kobus / European Union, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
For more news from across the Emirates, see our UAE section.