In a UN Security Council session convened by Russia at Iran’s request, the US, alongside its European allies, the UK and France, did not denounce the Israeli airstrike targeting the Iranian consular facility in Damascus, which resulted in 13 fatalities.
The European representatives avoided attributing the assault to Israel, instead criticizing Iran for escalating tensions in the region.
US delegate Robert Wood also declined to censure Israel, cautioning Iran against further provocations.
He noted the US’s general opposition to attacks on diplomatic sites, though it remained uncertain if the struck facility in Damascus was indeed a diplomatic one.
Contrarily, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the Israeli attack, stressing the imperative of upholding the sanctity of diplomatic and consular premises, as communicated by Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari.
The strike claimed the lives of at least seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp, including high-ranking officials Mohammed Reza Zahedi and Mohammed Hadi Haji Rahimi, who were advising the Syrian government, in addition to six Syrian nationals.
The stance taken by the US, UK, and France prompted strong criticism from both Iran and Russia.
A member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee and former Revolutionary Guard, Ismail Kowsari, announced that his country maintains the right to strike Israel in the appropriate place.
In an interview with the ILNA news agency, he viewed the attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria as a clear violation of the 1961 United Nations Convention, equating the bombing of consulates and embassies to an invasion of a country’s territory.
Regarding Iran’s right to respond, Kowsari pointed to his country’s right to retaliate at the right place and time, indicating that Israel should bear responsibility for its actions.
He announced that many elements within what he called the “resistance front” would respond, adding, “If necessary… we will respond ourselves,” referencing pro-Iran groups in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, which have carried out attacks since the Gaza war began, claiming retaliation, while the West accuses them of receiving Iranian support.
