The 15th United Nations Chief said the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday evening due to Iran’s retaliatory measures and missile attack on Israel. On Saturday, a spokesman for Malta’s interim presidency said the Security Council planned to hold a meeting at 4am.
Iran had vowed to retaliate against the attack on Israel’s office in Damascus on April 1, in which seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officers, including two senior commanders, were killed, and said the attack was a punishment for Israel’s crimes. Iran’s mission to the United Nations said, “If the Israeli regime makes another mistake, Iran’s reaction will be very harsh.” But he also said that Iran “felt that the
issue was over.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Iran’s attack and said he was “deeply concerned about the serious danger of an escalation of regional aggression.
I strongly condemn the escalation of the mass attack against Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said in the statement. “I am very concerned about the severity of the increase across the region. I call on all parties to exercise extreme caution and avoid any actions that could trigger serious military conflicts in many parts of the Middle East. In its first attack on Israeli territory on Saturday, Iran launched a massive drone strike and fired missiles at Israel; The United States has threatened major regional unrest while promising to support Israel.
Iran’s attacks come as Tehran’s allies in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen have launched a series of attacks against Israel and the West since October 7, when Israel launched strikes on Gaza. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations said in a letter to the head of the United Nations Security Council that Iran’s air activities “are a violation of Israel’s sovereignty.”
Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan wrote: “Iran launched a direct attack today with more than 200 regional (drone), cruise and ballistic missiles targeting Israel. The number of attacks is increasing and it is dangerous. Meanwhile, it was stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a telephone conversation with President Joe Biden on Sunday morning after the Security Council and War Cabinet meetings.
Media reports stated that the meeting lasted approximately 25 minutes, that this conversation came after Biden called a meeting of National Security Council officials to discuss the attack, and that it was not read by the White House. The President of the United States returned to Washington this morning after cutting short his visit to Delaware. Our commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its allies remains rock-solid.
Sub Editor: Rizwan