UN Security Council members criticize US over recent strikes in Syria, Iraq
Actions of US in region 'just the latest in a litany of unlawful, irresponsible attacks' against backdrop of unprecedented escalation of violence, says Russian envoy to UN
WASHINGTON
Some UN Security Council members criticized the US on Monday over last week’s airstrikes in Syria and Iraq to avenge the killing of three of its service personnel in Jordan.
"We decisively condemn this new brazen act of aggression of the US against a sovereign state, creating further risks and increasing the level of instability in a region that is already on fire," Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia told a UN Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and security.
The Council convened for an urgent meeting at the request of Russia as the war in Gaza continues to fan tensions across the Middle East, with potentially dramatic consequences for regional peace and security.
The meeting came against the backdrop of a series of airstrikes by the US on targets in Iraq and Syria on Friday against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria after a suicide drone attack killed three American troops in Jordan.
According to US military officials, more than 85 targets were struck in Iraq and Syria, including command, control and intelligence centers, munition and logistics supplies and rocket, drone and missile sites.
Nebenzia said the actions of the US in the region were "just the latest in a litany of unlawful and irresponsible attacks" against the backdrop of an unprecedented escalation of violence.
"The massive airstrikes by the US once again demonstrated to the world the aggressive nature of US policy in the Middle East and Washington’s complete disregard for international law," he added.
Stressing that the US was "deliberately" trying to drag the largest countries of the Middle East, including Iran, into a regional conflict, he called on the international community to "unconditionally" condemn the reckless actions of Washington and its allies, which have violated the sovereignty of both Syria and Iraq.
Addressing the Council, China’s Ambassador Zhang Jun said the action taken by the US was creating "new turmoil" in the Middle East.
"History has shown that using military means would not provide any solutions to the problems roiling the Middle East," he said, adding the action by the US would only exacerbate a "vicious cycle of tit-for-tat."
The ambassador also called on all countries concerned to stop acting out of self-interest.
"We are standing at a critical crossroads," he added.
US military action 'illegal, unjustified'
Iran’s Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani strongly condemned the US strikes against Iraqi and Syrian territories.
"The US military action is illegal, unjustified and blatantly violates the basic norms and principles of international law and the UN Charter," Iravani said, denouncing the joint US-UK strikes against Yemen.
"These illegal actions, which targeted civilians and vital infrastructure, jeopardize regional peace and security as well as pose a serious threat to international peace and security," he added.
Noting the "desperate attempt" made by the US and UK to "distract attention" from the root cause of the current situation in the Middle East by falsely blaming Iran, he said Iran had never sought to contribute to the spillover in the region and it has no military presence in Iraq and its military advisers are legally present in Syria, invited by Damascus to fight terrorism.
"Claims that Iran’s bases in Iraq and Syria were attacked are rejected as unfounded and regarded as attempts to shift attention away from the US’s aggressive actions," he said.
Syria’s UN Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak said Syria completely rejects all the "pretexts and lies" that the US administration is trying to use to justify its aggression, which aims to protect its agents in the region.
"This aggression constitutes a threat to regional and international peace and security and is a blatant violation of international law, international humanitarian law and the principles and purposes of the United Nations.
"Therefore, it should be condemned and denounced by the Security Council," Aldahhak said.
Deputy Permanent Representative of Iraq Abbas Kadhom Obaid Al-Fatlawi said the crises in the Middle East were all linked.
Iraq condemns and categorically rejects any attack on its territory based on "futile and illogical pretexts," he said.
"We reject all type of attacks against our military bases, which are a violation of our sovereignty and security. This Security Council must protect the territorial integrity of all states," he added.
