UN and Member States condemn Israeli assault on Iranian consulate

The United Nations and its member states jointly condemned Israel’s assault on the Iranian consulate in Syria’s capital.

“The inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel must be respected in all cases in accordance with international law,” Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Mohamed Khaled Khiari stated.

Khiari pointed out a series of deadly attacks on Iranian targets in Syria linked to Israel, especially since Oct. 7.

“While Israel has rarely claimed responsibility for any of these incidents, its officials have repeatedly acknowledged its military operations in Syria and have suggested that more such operations will occur in the future,” he stated. 

“Open sources have reported at least a dozen such attacks since the beginning of this year,” he stated, urging all parties to prevent further escalation and the deterioration of regional peace and security.

Russia voices extreme concern

Russian envoy to the U.N. Vassily Nebenzia criticized Israel’s ongoing military operations in the occupied Palestinian territories despite the recent U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza during Ramadan.

Nebenzia condemned “in the strongest terms” Israel’s attack on the Iranian consulate, saying, “We regard as categorically unacceptable any attacks on diplomatic and consular facilities, the inviolability of which is guaranteed by the relevant Vienna Conventions of 1961 and 1963.”

“We are extremely concerned about such blatant disregard by the Israeli leadership (with the connivance of the United States) for a legally binding decision of the Security Council,” he said.

He noted that “this is not the first attack by Israel in the densely populated Damascus metropolitan area, which has posed high risks of mass civilian casualties.”

He highlighted the killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in an Israeli air strike on Monday as an example.

He called on the international community to “unequivocally condemn Israel’s reckless actions.”

US warns Iran to stop escalating tension

The United States accused Iran of targeting Israeli and U.S. facilities and warned Iran to “avoid escalating tensions in the region.”

U.S. representative Robert Wood denied American involvement in the Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate, saying, “We have communicated this directly to Iran.”

“As we gather details, one thing is clear: Iran and its proxy and partner groups need to avoid escalating tensions in the region,” Wood added.

He said that since Oct. 7, the U.S. “has repeatedly warned Iran not to take advantage of the situation to escalate its longstanding proxy war against Israel and other actors.” Wood also said the U.S. “will not hesitate to defend our personnel” in the region.

On the Israeli killing of the WCK aid workers, Wood said, “Israel needs to do much more to protect humanitarian personnel and facilities in Gaza.” “It is unacceptable and inexplicable that nearly six months into this conflict, Israeli military deconfliction mechanisms are not functioning appropriately,” he added.

‘Breach of sovereignty’: China

Geng Shuang, China’s deputy permanent representative to the U.N., characterized the attack on the Iranian consulate as “a severe violation of the UN Charter and international law” and emphasized that it constituted “a violation of the sovereignty of both Syria and Iran.”

Drawing attention to a historical event, Shuang recalled the bombing of China’s Embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia by a U.S.-led NATO airstrike 25 years ago, resulting in casualties and damage to the embassy.

Shuang underscored the inviolability of diplomatic missions under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and universally acknowledged norms governing international relations.

“The red line of international law and the basic norms of international relations has been breached time and again,” he said, adding that such a situation must stop immediately.

‘International order at risk’: Algeria

Representing Algeria at the U.N., Amar Bendjama expressed strong condemnation of Israel’s significant breach of international obligations, stating that such actions cannot be justified or tolerated.

“The integrity of our international order hangs in the balance,” he remarked, highlighting the critical choice between upholding the principles of the U.N. Charter or risking descent into chaos and regional instability.

Additionally, condemnation was voiced by several other countries, including Slovenia, Switzerland, Ecuador, and Sierra Leone, further underscoring the widespread concern over the situation.

Barbaric attack: Syria

Syria’s representative Koussay Aldahhak vehemently condemned the attack on diplomatic premises, labeling it as “barbaric” and highlighting its occurrence “in broad daylight.”

Aldahhak underscored the grave nature of the attack, noting that the targeted building, situated in a densely populated area frequented by civilians, is located near the headquarters of various foreign diplomatic missions and international organizations, including the World Food Programme (WFP).

Emphasizing the dangerous precedent set by such violations of international conventions and norms safeguarding diplomatic premises and personnel, Aldahhak attributed Israel’s actions to what he described as the “blind support” of the United States.

‘Cowardly terrorist attacks’: Iran

Zahra Ershadi, Iran’s representative, condemned the “cowardly terrorist attacks” by Israel, labeling them as flagrant violations of the United Nations Charter, international law, and the sovereignty of Syria.

Ershadi urged the security council to vehemently condemn the “unjustified criminal act and terrorist attack,” asserting that Israel’s actions pose a significant threat to regional and international peace and security.

Rejecting allegations from the U.S. and U.K., Ershadi emphasized Iran’s stance of non-involvement in regional conflict escalation and expressed Iran’s rejection of being held responsible for such tensions.

Furthermore, Ershadi criticized the U.S. for exploiting the situation to destabilize Syria and the region, while squarely placing responsibility for the crimes on the Israeli regime’s supporters. She held the U.S. responsible for supporting Israel politically, financially, and militarily.

UK voices deep concern

U.K. representative James Kariuki blamed Iran for its “role in destabilising the region, through its military, financial and political support to groups which have been conducting and threatening attacks,” which he added, “is unacceptable.”

Kariuki, pointed to Iran’s support for various groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah, militias in Syria and Iraq, and the Houthis.

He emphasized the U.K.’s deep concern over the potential for escalation in the region and called on all parties to reduce tensions, reaffirming the commitment to de-escalation efforts.

Robert Wood, the deputy U.S. ambassador to the U.N., denied U.S. involvement in the attack, stating that the U.S. had no prior knowledge of it and was gathering information. Wood emphasized the need for Iran and its partners to avoid escalating tensions in the region, noting that Syria and Iran had targeted Israeli and U.S. facilities and personnel.