UNSC holds urgent meeting on threats to international peace, security
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held on Monday an urgent meeting at the request of Russia, as Gaza’s war continued to fan tensions across the Middle East, with potentially dramatic consequences for regional peace and security.
The UN’s Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, briefed ambassadors first, warning that escalating attacks were fuelling chances of miscalculation.
On Feb.2 , U.S. forces targeted facilities of Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria in response to a drone attack on Jan. 28, targeting a U.S. base in northeast Jordan. The attack resulted in the death of three U.S. soldiers and in the injury of 40 others.
The so-called Islamic Resistance in Iraq, Iranian-backed militias, claimed responsibility for the attack.
She said, in the Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and security, that “the tensions that have engulfed multiple countries in the Middle East continue to rise.”
“I reiterate the Secretary-General’s call on all parties to step back from the brink and to consider the unbearable human and economic cost of a potential regional conflict,” she urged.
She called on the council “to actively engage all concerned parties to prevent further escalation and the worsening of tensions that undermine regional peace and security.”
Iran’s Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani strongly condemned the U.S. strikes in Syria and Iraq, saying, “The U.S. military action is illegal, unjustified and blatantly violates the basic norms and principles of international law, and the UN Charter.”
“It is regretful that the U.S., a permanent member of the Security Council, has failed to fulfill its obligations under the UN Chapter,” he said.
For his part, Syria’s UN Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak said the arguments heard at the meeting were the “same flimsy pretexts and misleading claims the U.S. administration is promoting to justify its repeated attacks.”
He stressed that Syria completely rejects all the “pretexts and lies” that the U.S. administration is trying to use to justify its aggression which aims to protect its agents in the region.
Deputy Permanent Representative Robert A. Wood of the U.S. said that his country’s “necessary and proportional” actions on Feb. 2 in Syria and Iraq against Iran’s Islamic Republic Guards Corps (IRGC) and affiliated militia groups was taken in exercise of the U.S.’ inherent right to self-defense, as reflected in Article 51 of the UN Charter.
He noted that the targets struck by the U.S. were carefully selected to avoid civilian casualties and were based on clear and irrefutable evidence that they were connected to the attacks on U.S. personnel.
“The U.S. does not desire more conflict in the region … we are not seeking a direct conflict with Iran”, he said, adding that his country will continue to defend its forces against unacceptable attacks.
Russia’s Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the U.S. actions in the region were just the latest unlawful and irresponsible attacks against the backdrop of an unprecedented escalation of violence.
Massive airstrikes by the U.S. once again demonstrated to the world the aggressive nature of U.S. policy in the Middle East and Washington’s complete disregard for international law, he continued.
Nebenzia said the U.S. was deliberately trying to drag the largest countries of the Middle East, including Iran, into a regional conflict.