The session was requested by Russia, Algeria, and China following a letter sent by Iravani to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and members of the Security Council.
The Iranian envoy to the United Nations has said that Israel’s recent attack on Iran is part of a “broader, sustained pattern of aggression” to destabilize the entire region.
“Israel’s aggression against Iran is obvious and does not occur in isolation,” Amir Saeid Iravani said at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday evening.
“This aggressive attack is part of a broader, sustained pattern of aggression and unchecked impunity with which Israel continues to destabilize the entire region—most notably through its ongoing aggression, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes against the Palestinian and Lebanese people,” Iravani stated.
The session was requested by Russia, Algeria, and China following a letter sent by Iravani to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and members of the Security Council.
‘Breach of International Law’
The session follows a missile attack by Israel in the early hours of Saturday which targeted “several of Iran’s border defense radars in the provinces of Ilam, Khuzestan, and Tehran and military sites as well,” Iravani said.
Iran’s air defenses acted promptly, he added, intercepting most of the missiles and “thereby preventing substantial damage.” However, four Iranian military officers, along with a civilian, were killed in the attack, according to Iravani.
.@Iran_UN Amb Iravani: “The responsibility for this dangerous escalation lies squarely with the Israeli regime and, critically, with those who enable it – foremost among them, the United States, which remains #Israel’s primary and unwavering supporter in committing these grave… pic.twitter.com/yxwFEpPHi7
— Rami Ayari (@Raminho) October 28, 2024
“Israel’s hostile actions are a blatant and dangerous breach of international law and the UN Charter, particularly the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity and prohibition on threats or the use of force against the sovereignty of states,” the Iranian ambassador stated.
He said these principles “are not merely abstract ideals” but are “foundational pillars upon which international peace and stability rely.”
‘Unconditional Support’ of US
Iravani called out the “unwavering and unconditional support” provided by the United States to Israel, “coupled with its obstruction of the Security Council’s mandate, as a permanent member.”
This support “has emboldened Israel to persist in its crimes and aggressions in Gaza and Lebanon, and now against Iran, gravely undermining regional peace and security,” he said.
Condemnations and Cautions: Global Reactions to Israel’s Assault on Iran
UN Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East and Asia and the Pacific, Khaled Khiari, told the Security Council that Guterres condemns “all acts of escalation,” and urged for an end to “belligerent and threatening rhetoric.”
“The latest exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran risks plunging the region into the unknown at a time when we urgently need de-escalation on all fronts, Khiari said.
“I echo the Secretary-General’s condemnation of all acts of escalation. These acts must stop. Belligerent and threatening rhetoric must cease,” he added.
‘Risk a Reality’ – Algeria
Algerian envoy to the UN, Amar Bendjama, the Anadolu news agency reported, reiterated his warning over “the risk of the Israeli aggression against Gaza spreading across the Middle East,” and said: “Unfortunately, this risk has become a reality.”
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“We face a regional conflict with serious and foreseeable global consequences,” he said, criticizing some Security Council members who are “reluctant” to describe the situation “a threat to international peace and security.”
Calling on the council members to “impose an immediate and permanent cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon,” Bendjama urged to “bring an end to the Israeli occupation of all Arab lands.”
Russia Slams US
Russian envoy to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, described Israel’s strikes on Iran as “predictable” and criticized the US and its allies for not attempting to dissuade Israel from launching airstrikes against Iran.
Netanyahu is claiming Israel achieved “all its objectives” with its strikes in Iran (without providing any evidence), while also insisting the attack was “retaliation,” as if Iran’s ballistic missile attack on Oct. 1 was a standalone event. It wasn’t.
Iran noted then that it… pic.twitter.com/tguHVbZrCH
— Rachel Blevins (@RachBlevins) October 28, 2024
Saying that Israel “provoked a new spiral of violence in the Middle East,” Nebenzia recalled reports of US sharing of “intelligence” with Israel to carry out the attack and described it as “violation of international law.”
He urged Israel to “refrain from the practice of provocative military actions of the Middle East.”
‘Grave Concern’ – China
China’s UN envoy, Fu Cong, also condemned the attack against Iran, and echoed his Russian and Algerian colleagues.
Fu expressed “grave concern” over the escalation “caused by Israel’s action,” and urged “Israel to effectively cease all provocative acts.”
Calling all sides to exercise restraint, the Chinese envoy stressed the need to follow the UN Charter and the principles of international law.
Firm US Support
US envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield reiterated her country’s support to Israel and said “Israel has a right to defend itself against Iran’s attacks, and that is precisely what Israel did this weekend.”
Stating that the “US did not participate in this military operation,” she said the US aided Israel to shape the operation, said Anadolu.
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“Today, the United States’ message for Israel remains clear: we will always help secure its people and territory from Iran and its terrorist proxies and partners,” she added.
The US envoy claimed Washington “does not want to further to see further escalation,” and urged for the latest incident to “be the end of the direct exchange of fire between Israel and Iran.”
She criticized the Iranian envoy’s request for the emergency session, saying the Iranian mission “seeks to gaslight and deflect to claim the role of victim, while continuing to sow chaos across the region and because Russia is increasingly reliant on Iranian weapons to sustain its illegal, unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.”
Ongoing Genocide
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
Catastrophic Toll – Israel Kills Scores, Including 20 Children, in Beit Lahia
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 43,020 Palestinians have, to date, been killed, and 101,110 wounded.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
Millions Displaced
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
(PC, Anadolu)
