Iran has warned that it will respond with more force if Israel retaliates over this weekend’s strikes, which Tehran said were themselves a reply to an Israeli attack earlier this month on its embassy complex in Syria’s capital Damascus.
Should the Israeli regime commit any military aggression again, Iran’s response will assuredly and decisively be stronger and more resolute,” Ambassador Iravani added.
Citing self-defense against repeated Israeli military aggressions, Iravani said the strikes were specifically in retaliation to an Israeli attack on April 1 against what Iran says were diplomatic facilities in Damascus.
Iran claims the attack violated international law and led to the death of seven Iranian military advisors, including key commanders from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The statement also criticizes the United Nations Security Council for “failing to uphold international peace,” allowing Israel to “breach” established international norms and “escalate” regional tensions.
Additional context: Israel has carried out numerous strikes on Iran-backed targets in Syria, often targeting weapons shipments allegedly intended for Hezbollah, a powerful Iranian proxy in Lebanon.
At least three United Airlines flights headed to or departing from the Middle East have been canceled amid the ongoing conflict unfolding between Iran and Israel.
A neoconservative, Bolton has in the past advocated war with Iran and a pre-emptive strike on North Korea.
Iran said that this weekend’s strikes were a response to an Israeli attack on its embassy complex in Damascus, the capital of Syria, earlier this month. If Israel retaliates, Tehran has threatened to retaliate with greater force.
Iran’s Permanent Representative to the UN and ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, issued a statement saying, “The Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to exercise its inherent right of self-defense when required.”.
Ambassador Iravani continued, “Iran’s response will undoubtedly and decisively be stronger and more resolute should the Israeli regime commit any military aggression again.
Iravani said the strikes were precisely in response to an Israeli attack on April 1 against what Iran claims are diplomatic facilities in Damascus, citing self-defense against repeated Israeli military aggressions.
Seven Iranian military advisors, including important commanders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, are said to have died in the attack, which Iran claims violated international law.
Along with allowing Israel to “breach” established international norms and “escalate” regional tensions, the United Nations Security Council is criticized in the statement for “failing to uphold international peace.”.
Further background: Israel has attacked targets in Syria that it believes are supported by Iran on multiple occasions, most notably arms shipments that are purportedly headed for Hezbollah, a potent Iranian operative in Lebanon.
Top Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Reza Zahedi was among those killed in the April 1 attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, but Israel has not acknowledged any involvement in the incident.
A representative for the Israel Defense Forces, however, told CNN that their intelligence indicated the structure was actually “a military building of Quds forces disguised as a civilian building” rather than a consulate. “.
A spokeswoman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Sunday that the country is “deeply concerned” about the “current escalation” that has followed Iran’s attack on Israel. She further stated that this is a “spillover of the Gaza conflict” and that a ceasefire ought to be put into place right away.
China made the request “to prevent further escalations, relevant parties should exercise calm and restraint” in a statement. ****.
The spokesperson described the current state of affairs as “the latest spillover of the Gaza conflict” and insisted that the UN Security Council resolution urging an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas be put into effect.
Following the initial October 7 attacks, Beijing refrained from naming or denouncing Hamas. Since then, it has denounced the conflict and been an outspoken advocate for the establishment of a “two-state” solution as well as an immediate cease-fire.
The first encounter between a Chinese and a Hamas official that Beijing has publicly acknowledged since the start of the Gaza War took place last month in Qatar between Chinese diplomat Wang Kejian and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Wang’s visit comes after Beijing has made more of an effort to project itself as a peace broker in the Middle East conflict.
Due to the continuing crisis between Iran and Israel, at least three United Airlines flights to or from the Middle East have been canceled.
A flight from Washington, D.C. to Tel Aviv departs from Newark, New Jersey on Saturday. according to a statement from the airline sent to CNN. One was from Dubai to Newark and the other was from Amman, Jordan.
The safety of our passengers and crews is our top priority when making decisions about future flights, and we are actively monitoring the situation,” the airline stated.
As of Saturday night, United had not made any changes to any of its Sunday flights.
CNN has inquired about cancellations from other airlines.
In a warning against further attacks, former US national security adviser and UN ambassador John Bolton stated that “passivity at this point for Israel would be a big mistake.”.
“This is not the time for message and signal games or academic games. Bolton said to Wolf Blitzer of CNN that “this is a question of power.”. If they originated from another location that held nuclear warheads, Israel might not have the same luck. “.
Bolton held prominent national security roles in both the Trump and Bush administrations and is well-known for his tough stance on Iran policy. Neoconservative Bolton has previously supported war with Iran as well as an early attack on North Korea.
He was the target of a suspected assassination attempt in 2022, carried out by an Iranian member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
He has cautioned against underestimating Tehran’s claims that Iran is only pursuing a peaceful nuclear program.
“I believe that we have gained enough experience with inaccurate intelligence by now to be unsure of the extent to which Iran’s uranium enrichment program is actually being carried out in North Korea beneath a mountain,” Bolton stated.
The North Koreans would have “enough time to put a couple of warheads on an airplane and fly them to Tehran” if Tehran sent “a wire transfer to Pyongyang.”. However, eliminating their nuclear capability would deal a severe blow to the regime—possibly enough to bring it to an end. “.
