Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations underlined Thursday the necessity of Tehran responding to the Israeli airstrike on its consulate in Damascus, which martyred seven Iranian military advisors, including Brigadier General martyr Mohammad Reza Zahedi, the leader of the IRGC's Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon.

Iran's diplomats stressed that if it were not for the impunity enjoyed by the Israeli occupation in the UN Security Council, and if the perpetrators of the attack on Iran's consulate in Syria were brought to justice, the Islamic Republic would not have found it necessary to retaliate against the Israeli occupation.

"Had the UN Security Council condemned the Zionist regime’s reprehensible act of aggression on our diplomatic premises in Damascus and subsequently brought to justice its perpetrators, the imperative for Iran to punish this rogue regime might have been obviated," the mission said in a brief statement.

Had the UN Security Council condemned the Zionist regime’s reprehensible act of aggression on our diplomatic premises in Damascus and subsequently brought to justice its perpetrators, the imperative for Iran to punish this rogue regime might have been obviated.

— Permanent Mission of I.R.Iran to UN, NY (@Iran_UN) April 11, 2024

The leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran Sayyed Ali Khamenei led the Eid prayer to commemorate the end of the holy month of Ramadan, extending prayers for Gaza and highlighting how the occupying entity has not stopped massacring women and children in Gaza, but only escalated the magnitude of its warmongering. 

“In this year's events, Western governments exposed the evil nature of Western civilizations. During the last six months in Gaza, the Western governments themselves put on display this evil nature before the eyes of the world," the leader said, adding that they resorted to killing innocent people in Palestine because they could not catch up to the Resistance's power. 

He condemned the piercing silence of the pretenders who claim to champion human rights but still remained silent as "Israel" is carrying out its genocide in Gaza, asking, "Where are those whose cacophonous voice on human rights deafen the ears of the world? Are these not human beings? Don’t they have any rights?"

He held Western governments responsible for the extension and the effectuation of the genocide in Gaza, affirming that they greenlit "Israel's" onslaught instead of stopping it.

While many spoke against the occupation's military conduct, the leader said their actions, particularly those of the "arrogant and cruel governments of the US and UK," contributed to the expedition of the war. 

'Israel will be punished' 

Sayyed Khamenei once again affirmed that "Israel" made a grave mistake by targeting the Iranian consulate in Damascus, highlighting that the attack is tantamount to an attack on Iranian soil. 

"The consulate and diplomatic missions in any country are considered to be the territory of that country. When they attack our consulate, it means they have attacked our soil.”

He threatened the "wicked entity", saying that "it must and will be punished."

Last week, Sayyed Ali Khamenei said that the Israeli occupation will not be able to avoid its defeat by resorting to "desperate acts" like the airstrike it carried out on the Iranian consulate in Syria.

The leader emphasized that the Zionist regime will eventually "come close to collapse and dissolution. Desperate attempts like the actions the regime committed in Syria will not save them from defeat," vowing that they will certainly "be slapped for these acts."

He further affirmed, "Our courageous men will exact punishment upon the evil regime. We will ensure they regret this and other crimes, with the will of God."