The UN Security Council discussed the attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria. Israel was not praised

On Tuesday, the UN Security Council held a meeting on Israel on Monday of the attack against Iran’s diplomatic mission in Syria. The missile strike killed more than ten people, including high-ranking Iranian military personnel and Syrian civilians.

Almost all members of the UN Security Council agreed on Tuesday that strikes on diplomatic facilities were unjustified as a gross violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The statement of the French representative stood out, which emphasized “Iran’s destabilizing activities”.

The UN Secretary General reacted immediately to this incident. “The Secretary-General reaffirms that the principle of inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel must be respected in all cases under international law,” Secretary-General António Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

At the same time, it became known that Russia, with the support of China, is trying to convene an extraordinary meeting of the UN Security Council on this issue. Representatives of Iran and Syria were invited to the discussion; Israel did not participate.

The UN Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Mohamed Khaled Khiari (Mohamed Khaled Khiari) was the first to inform about the meeting. He noted that on Monday, the Islamic Republic of Iran sent letters to the UN apparatus, including the Secretary-General and the Security Council. In these letters, the Iranians directly blame Israel for everything that happened.

Khiari emphasized that there is no disagreement at the UN regarding the assessment of the attack.

“I would like to make it clear: the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel must be respected in all cases according to international law. According to international law, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states must be respected.

A rules-based international order is necessary to ensure world peace and security,” he stated, adding that such actions should not only be avoided, but “continue to actively engage all stakeholders to prevent further escalation and escalation of tensions,” and that all parties should exercise “maximum restraint”.

After that, the floor was given to the permanent representative of Russia Vasiliy Nebenzia. He said the Israeli military continues “unrelenting rocket and bomb attacks against various Syrian targets against the backdrop of an unprecedented military operation in the Gaza Strip, in defiance of Security Council Resolution 2728’s demand for an immediate ceasefire.”

China’s representative, Deputy Permanent Representative Geng Shuang, said that the attack on Iran’s diplomatic mission in Syria is a serious violation of the UN Charter, the Vienna Convention and international law in general, as well as a violation of the sovereignty of Syria and Iran.

The diplomat reminded that exactly a quarter of a century ago, the embassy of the PRC in Yugoslavia was bombed by “NATO led by the USA”, which also caused human casualties and great damage. “We experience the grief and pain of the Iranian government and people as our own,” Geng Shuang said. Such actions should not go unpunished, he added, as it could be interpreted as a false signal and encourage even more risky actions.

The bombing of the Iranian embassy was condemned by almost all participants in the discussion.

Algeria demanded “revenge” for actions that “endanger the very basis of the international order”. Slovenia called the attack “unacceptable and unjustifiable”. Sweden called for an end to the spiral of escalation.

South Korea has demanded that the parties to the Gaza conflict finally start complying with a resolution calling for a ceasefire. Malta, Ecuador and Sierra Leone stated that the inviolability of diplomatic property “is a necessary condition”.

France’s statement stood out from the rest. France’s permanent representative, Nicola de Rivière, began his speech by saying that what is happening cannot be seen in a vacuum: “The strikes on Damascus were delivered against the backdrop of rising tensions… and after October 7 of a terrorist attack by Hamas (in Israel). In addition, the diplomat said that “Iran and its regional partners bear the full burden of responsibility for this escalation”. At the same time, he added that the “collective responsibility” of the Security Council is to “do everything possible to reduce tensions”.

However, even France’s closest allies, the United Kingdom and the United States, chose not to turn a blind eye to what happened. James Kariuki, Deputy Permanent Representative of the UK to the UN, emphasized that “it is important to respect the inviolability of diplomatic buildings and the protection of diplomatic and consular personnel”. He also said that Resolution 2728 (on the conflict in the Gaza Strip) should be adhered to, although he noted “Iran’s role in destabilizing the region”.

US Deputy Permanent Representative Robert Wood (Robert Wood) echoed the thoughts of his British counterpart and reminded us that US military personnel have been killed in the region as a result of attacks on US bases. At the same time, he stressed: “The US has nothing to do with the strike in Syria.” We also didn’t know about him in advance.”

Mr. Wood added that the United States is still examining the information it receives and cannot yet confidently identify the culprit and say whether an Iranian diplomatic asset (and not a military facility) was indeed attacked. “However, any confirmed attack on diplomatic facilities would be of concern to the United States – diplomatic missions and their assets, as well as official diplomatic residences, must be protected,” the speaker added.

The permanent representative of Russia could not resist a retort in response to the speech of his three Western counterparts.

“We are once again stunned by their cynicism and double standards.” It was difficult to understand from their complex verbal equilibrium why we gathered here today”, said V. Nebenzia.

According to him, “The representative of France said what he wanted to do without condemning yet another violation of international law committed by Israel. And the United States, “which always has first-hand information on any issue”, did not have such information this time, the diplomat noted sarcastically. “Colleagues, if your embassy or consulate in the region was attacked, would you react the same way?” This is what your rules-based world order is in all its obviousness,” Vasilijus Nebenzia asked.

info.lt: It is clear that the West cannot unequivocally condemn its ally Israel, which is using it, causing enormous damage to the West’s moral reputation. After all, how can you condemn some other aggressor when you yourself cover the same aggressor who violates the basic legal foundations of the UN? And the world observes it and draws its own conclusions. Undoubtedly, this meeting of the UN Security Council and the statements made in it are a great achievement for Russia.