UN condemns strike on Iranian facility in Syria, urges restraint amid rising tensions

Representatives attend a UN Security Council emergency meeting on Israeli strike on Iran's Syria consulate at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 2, 2024. The United Nations on Tuesday voiced its condemnation following Iran's allegations that Israel conducted missile strikes on its diplomatic premises in Damascus, resulting in significant casualties. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Tuesday voiced its condemnation following Iran's allegations that Israel conducted missile strikes on its diplomatic premises in Damascus, resulting in significant casualties.

UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari told the Security Council emergency meeting on Israeli strike on Iran's Syria consulate, revealing that Iran reported the attack had led to the death of at least five Iranian personnel, including "senior military advisors," with the toll purportedly rising to 13, including six Syrian citizens.

These assertions were made amidst growing concerns over the "inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises" and the imperative respect for the "sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states," underscored Khiari.

The situation in Syria, as described by Khiari, remains dire, with "six foreign armies operating on its territory," exacerbating civilian hardships and pushing a peaceful resolution further away.

Specifically, Khiari highlighted a series of "increasingly lethal attacks" on Iran-affiliated targets in Syria, attributed to Israel, particularly since the onset of the conflict with Hamas in Gaza on Oct. 7.

The UN's appeal to the Security Council to "actively engage all concerned parties" underscores the critical need to avert further escalation and regional instability, said Khiari.

He called for "utmost restraint" and adherence to international law, including protections for civilians and infrastructure, trying to avoid a miscalculation spiraling into a wider conflict with "devastating consequences" for an already suffering civilian population across the Middle East.

Iran requested the UN Security Council to convene an emergency session to deliberate on the Israeli airstrike. The appeal received backing from Moscow. ■

UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari briefs a Security Council emergency meeting on Israeli strike on Iran's Syria consulate at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 2, 2024. The United Nations on Tuesday voiced its condemnation following Iran's allegations that Israel conducted missile strikes on its diplomatic premises in Damascus, resulting in significant casualties. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)