By Michelle Nichols
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -America warned Iran on the United Nations Safety Council on Wednesday in opposition to concentrating on it or Israel as U.N. Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres stated the “deadly cycle of tit-for-tat violence must stop” within the Center East.
“Time is running out,” he advised the council.
The 15-member council met after Israel killed the chief of Lebanon’s Hezbollah and commenced a floor assault in opposition to the Iran-backed militant group and Iran attacked Israel in a strike that raised fears of a wider warfare within the Center East.
“Our actions have been defensive in nature,” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield advised the council.
“Let me be clear: The Iranian regime will be held responsible for its actions. And we strongly warn against Iran – or its proxies – taking actions against the United States, or further actions against Israel,” she stated.
French U.N. Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere stated France desires the Safety Council to “show unity and to speak with one voice” to de-escalate the state of affairs. Thomas-Greenfield stated the council ought to condemn Iran’s assault and impose “serious consequences” on Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards Corps for its actions.
“We have a collective responsibility, as members of the Security Council, to impose additional sanctions on the IRGC for supporting terrorism, and for flouting so many of this Council’s resolutions,” the U.S. ambassador stated.
Guterres advised the council he strongly condemned Iran’s assault on Israel. Earlier on Wednesday, Israel’s overseas minister stated he was barring Guterres from coming into the nation as a result of he had not finished so.
In a letter to the Safety Council on Tuesday, Iran justified its assault on Israel as self-defense underneath Article 51 of the founding U.N. Constitution, citing “aggressive actions” by Israel together with violations of Iran’s sovereignty.
“Iran … in full compliance with the principle of distinction under international humanitarian law, has only targeted the regime’s military and security installations with its defensive missile strikes,” Iran wrote to the council.
Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon on Wednesday rejected Iran’s declare of self-defense.
“It was a calculated attack on a civilian population,” he advised reporters earlier than the council assembly. “Israel will not stand by in the face of such aggression. Israel will respond. Our response will be decisive, and yes, it will be painful, but unlike Iran we will act in full accordance with international law.”
