Iran decries UN Security Council’s silence on repeated Israeli airstrikes on Syria

Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani, has denounced the UN Security Council for its silence in the face of the repeated Israeli acts of military aggression against war-torn Syria.

Speaking at the UN Security Council briefing on the situation in Syria on Tuesday, Iravani slammed Israeli attacks against civilian population and basic infrastructure in Syria as a flagrant violation of international law and humanitarian rights, and argued that the Security Council’s inaction has emboldened the Tel Aviv regime to broaden the scope of its aggression.

“The Israeli regime’s aggression against Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity continues unabated, despite repeated requests from the Arab Republic of Syria for the Security Council to clearly condemn it,” the senior Iranian diplomat said.

“The Security Council’s silence has emboldened the Israeli regime to carry out its aggression and crimes more openly and broadly, most particularly the systematic and intentional targeting of civilians and vital infrastructure in Syria, which is a flagrant violation of international law, including international humanitarian law,” he said.

Iranavi also criticized the Security Council for its double standards concerning the Syria issue, and urged the UN body to condemn Israeli strikes and indict the Tel Aviv regime for its crimes which endanger regional peace and security.

Elsewhere in his remarks on Tuesday, Iravani pointed to the presence and activities of terrorist groups in Syria, saying, “The free movement of terrorist groups within Syrian territory where foreign forces are illegally present endangers Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as regional peace and security.”

He added that humanitarian conditions in the country are still appalling, “causing a significant impact on the Syrian people. In many areas, more needs to be done to alleviate their suffering.”

Iravani also underlined the importance of humanitarian assistance to Syria, stating that unhindered, fast and safe provision of humanitarian aid to people hit by the ongoing foreign-sponsored conflict should be given a priority. 

He went on to stress the need for the elimination of terrorists in Syria and the removal of cruel and illegal sanctions against the country.

“We support the Syrian government’s full cooperation with the United Nations and humanitarian organizations involved in delivering aid in Syria, and in this context, we applaud the Syrian Government's efforts to improve the humanitarian situation on the ground, including by providing assistance to the UN to enhance the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need, and to implement early recovery projects mandated by the resolution 2642,” Iravani added.

“Moreover, the ongoing efforts to effectively implement resolution 2642 must be accelerated and focused on the early recovery projects essential for people, such as electricity, water, sanitation, health, education, and shelter,” he said.

He also reiterated the Islamic Republic’s position that the ongoing crisis in Syria can only be resolved by concentrating on political solutions, calling on the United Nations to facilitate a genuine intra-Syrian political dialog.

SS