Iranians barely visible in US-Iran deal, UN rapporteur says

The US-Iran memorandum of understanding failed to address human rights and risked leaving Iranians without accountability, the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran Mai Sato said, according to a report by Geneva Solutions on Wednesday.

“The Iranian people are barely visible in the framework,” Sato said in the interview conducted last Friday. “It serves geopolitical interests while leaving the Iranian people behind.”

She also said the crackdown on Iran’s nationwide protests should not be forgotten as attention turns to the war and US-Iran diplomacy.

“The war started soon after the crackdown on the nationwide protests that began at the end of December 2025, when the Iranian people spoke up and asked for fundamental change – and I think that should not be forgotten,” Sato said.

She warned that an agreement that excludes human rights could return Iran to its pre-war conditions or make repression worse.

“An MoU, and the final agreement, that doesn't address the human rights situation risks simply reverting to how things were before or worse enabling further repression through a continued lack of accountability,” she said.

Sato said the MoU focused almost entirely on military withdrawal, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and nuclear commitments, with only a reconstruction fund pointing indirectly to the public’s needs.

“It’s worth noting, though, that not all of the economic hardship stems from the war or sanctions; domestic policy decisions have also played a part,” she said.

Sato said she wanted any final deal to include a halt to executions, the release of people arbitrarily detained, a guarantee of open internet access and protection of civic space.

She also said she had contacted US authorities about alleged rights violations during the war but had not received a response.

“I have indeed reached out, but haven't received a response,” she said.