Russia calls for UNSC meeting following US aggression on Iraq, Syria

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
3 Feb 2024 19:23
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This comes after the US initiated a series of strikes overnight, targeting positions in Iraq and Syria.

The UN Security Council meets at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Russian Deputy Envoy to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy on Saturday announced that Russia has sought an immediate session of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on February 5 in response to the US' aggression on Iraq and Syria.

"Russia has just called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting to discuss threats to international peace and security from the US strikes against Iraq and Syria. The meeting is expected to be held at 4 pm EST [21:00 GMT] on February 5," Polyanskiy said on X.

This comes after the US initiated a series of strikes overnight, targeting entities that the US Central Command (CENTCOM) alleges to be affiliated with the IRGC and its allies.

According to CENTCOM, US forces struck more than 85 targets in Iraq and Syria with numerous aircraft, including long-range bombers that were said to have taken off from the US.

The attack is said to be a response to an operation that targeted a US military base in Jordan earlier this week.

The strikes resulted in the death of 16 individuals and injuries to 25 others in Iraq alone, prompting the Iraqi parliament's Security and Defense Committee to call on the government to expedite the reaching of an agreement on the withdrawal of US troops.

As for Syria, the attacks led to the killing of several civilians and soldiers, injuring others, as well as causing significant material damage, as per a Syrian military statement.

Earlier, Iraq's Prime Minister declared a day of mourning for the Armed Forces martyrs who lost their lives in the aggression.

Commenting on the matter, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani stated that the aggressions on Iraq, Syria and Yemen are solely aimed at fulfilling "Israel's" goals, adding that "such attacks involve the US government in the regional [conflict] more than earlier and overshadow the crimes of the Israeli regime in the Gaza Strip."