UNSC International condemnations of Israeli attack on Iran consulate

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
2 Apr 2024 23:33

China's representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, warned that the situation in the Middle East has become significantly more dangerous than ever.

Emergency services work at a destroyed Iranian consulate building hit by an air strike in Damascus, Syria, Monday, April 1, 2024 (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

The UN Security Council held an urgent session today at the request of Russia, to discuss the Israeli aggression against the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus.

Syria's permanent representative to the United Nations, Qusay al-Dahhak, highlighted the circumstances of the Israeli aggression, describing it as a dangerous precedent and a grave violation of international conventions and norms.

Al-Dahhak stressed that Israeli and US crimes are carried out in coordination with terrorist organizations, stressing that Washington undermines the Council's decisions and the lives of 33,000 civilian martyrs in Gaza. .

Syria's ambassador said that Washington encourages flouting international law and the aggressor, stressing that Syria will continue to work to regain the occupied Syrian Golan.

The Syrian delegate stressed that the Israeli attacks will not dissuade his country from its firm positions in support of the Palestinian people.

"Syria holds the Israeli war criminals and their partners in the American administration responsible for the consequences of the repeated attacks."

Moscow called on the international community on Tuesday to condemn "Israel's" latest aggression on Syria, which involved targeting the Iranian Consulate in Damascus and resulted in multiple deaths.

"We call on the international community to unequivocally condemn Israel's reckless actions, which violate the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic and the inviolability of diplomatic property," stated Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia during a UN Security Council meeting.

China's representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, warned that the situation in the Middle East has become significantly more dangerous than ever. He further urged countries with leverage over "Israel" to exercise this influence.

Algeria's representative to the United Nations, Ammar Ben Jama, said the aggression against the Iranian consulate a provocation that would escalate tensions in the region, stressing that it should be condemned.

The delegates of Switzerland, South Korea, and Sierra Leone expressed concern about the escalation, and condemned the attack on a diplomatic mission.

They also expressed regret for not respecting Security Council Resolution No. 2728, which calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the tragedies that are occurring, warning of the danger of expanding the conflict in the region. .

Japan said that information about the attack is still incomplete.

The representative of Slovenia, Boštjan Malovrh, condemned the Israeli attack and expressed the need to reduce tension in the region by implementing the Security Council ceasefire resolution in Gaza.

The Guyana delegate strongly condemned the Israeli crime and called for caution and calming the situation in the region.

The aggression occurred on April 1 and claimed the lives of seven IRGC advisors. Among the martyrs was Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who made significant contributions to the Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi blamed the US and "Israel" for the aggression. However, the US dismissed the accusation, saying it had "no involvement" in the attack.

Axios reported that a few minutes before "Israel" launched the strike on the consulate, it informed the Biden administration without asking for a US green light.

Not only did "Israel" not include any details in its heads-up to the US, like sharing that it was going to bomb a building in the Iranian embassy compound, but the Israeli occupation jets were also already in the air when that piece of information was received by the US, according to the Axios report.

During a briefing in Paris earlier today, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington is gathering data of the attack and is convinced that neither "Israel" nor the other parties wish to see an escalation of the conflict.