Iran says attack on Israel was self-defense – NRK Urix – Foreign news and documentaries

No agreement was reached to condemn the Iranian attack on Israel at the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council last night. On the other hand, the ambassadors of Israel and Iran to the United Nations condemned the actions of the two countries.

– Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Irvani, said at the UN Security Council that, due to the repeated Israeli attacks and the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, this measure is consistent with Iran's right to self-defense.

He said that the country had no choice but to respond to what happened in Damascus.

Iran accuses Israel of being behind the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, on April 1. Seven senior members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard were killed, including two generals.

The consulate, which was an extension of the country's huge embassy complex located in the upscale Mezzeh district, was razed to the ground.

Iran's leaders vowed revenge, and late Saturday night they launched a massive drone and missile attack against Israel, which lasted about five hours.

Iravani added that Iran “does not want escalation or war,” but will respond to any “threat or aggression” that may come from Israel or Israel’s allies.

Israel will also respond

For his part, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, made it clear that Israel has the right to respond to the Iranian attack – and that retaliation will come.

The ambassador to the United Nations requested that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard be classified as a terrorist organization. He also urged the Security Council to impose new sanctions on Iran after the attack over the weekend.

– The mask has fallen. Iran, the world's leading sponsor of terrorism, has revealed its true face as a destabilizing factor in the region and the world

– The mask falls off and gloves must be worn. The Security Council must act today and condemn Iran for terrorism. Not for the sake of Israel, not for the region, but for the world, said Gilad Erdan.

Earlier in the evening, both the country's defense command and war cabinet announced their readiness to respond to the Iranian attack.

The war cabinet includes, among others, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant as well as opposition leader Benny Gantz, a former general and chief of the defense staff.

However, the military cabinet is said to be divided over the timing and extent of the response, according to Israeli officials.

“On the edge of the abyss”

The emergency meeting of the UN Security Council opened with a speech by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Guterres warned that neither the region nor the world can afford more wars.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations said that the Middle East is “on the brink of abyss.”

He also said it was time to stop the cycle of violence, and believed the UN and its member states had a “shared responsibility” to engage all parties involved to prevent further escalation.

– The population faces a real danger of a large-scale, devastating conflict. He added that the time has come to defuse tension and calm down.

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Important to avoid escalation

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the Iranian attack on Israel with his counterparts from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey on Sunday, the US State Department said.

A ministry statement said that Blinken stressed, during his talks with foreign ministers, “the importance of preventing escalation and coordinating a diplomatic response.”

Blinken stressed that the United States has no intention of contributing to the escalation of the conflict, but will continue to support Israeli defense, Reuters reported.

President Joe Biden has reportedly made it clear to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel will not participate in a retaliatory strike against Iran.