THE UNITED NATIONS — Russia on Monday accused the United States of aggression against Iraq And Syria aimed at preserving its global domination and saving the “image” of the Biden administration in front of the United States. elections. The United States countered that its military response to unwarranted attacks by Iranian-backed proxies against American forces was not only legal, but would continue.
The exchange took place during a contentious UN Security Council meeting convened by Russia, Syria’s closest ally, where both countries also said they did not want an escalation and a spillover of the war between Israel and Hamas. Many Council members expressed fears of growing conflict in the Middle East and called for de-escalation and intensification of peace efforts.
Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia accused the United States of violating international law and continuing to “sow chaos and destruction in the Middle East.”
He said violence by the United States and its allies has escalated from the Palestinian territories to Lebanon, the Red Sea and Yemen and is “undoing international efforts to restore peace in the Middle East.” -East”. He called on all countries “to unequivocally condemn these senseless acts… which violate the sovereignty of Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic.”
The Russian ambassador claimed that the United States was trying “to show strength…to justify and save the image of the current US administration…in light of the upcoming presidential pre-election campaign.” And he said the Americans were taking military action with the aim of “preserving their dominant position in the world at all costs.”
Deputy U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood countered that the United States has an absolute right to self-defense against attacks on U.S. forces and that the measures it took were “necessary and proportionate.”
He told the Council that since October 18, Iran-aligned militias have attacked U.S. and coalition forces more than 165 times in Iraq, Syria and in a drone attack on a Jordanian facility housing the US forces fighting Islamic State extremists on January 28. killed three members of the US military and injured many others.
The United States responded with 85 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria on February 2, which both countries said resulted in deaths, injuries and destruction of civilian property. They condemned the attacks as violations of their sovereignty – as their ambassadors did again at Monday’s council meeting.
Wood stressed that the United States does not want further conflict in a region where it is “actively working to contain and de-escalate the conflict in Gaza.”
“And we are not looking for direct conflict with Iran,” Wood said. “But we will continue to defend our personnel against unacceptable attacks. Period.”
He accused Iran of failing to “succeed in reining in its extremist proxies.”
The United States calls on the other 14 council members, particularly those with direct contact with Iran, “to pressure Iranian leaders to rein in their militias and stop these attacks,” it said. Wood. “They should also pressure the Syrian regime to stop giving Iran a platform to destabilize the region. »
Iran’s UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, countered that “all resistance groups in the region are independent” and said they had the legitimate right to end the “illegal” US presence. United in Iraq and Syria, to put an end to the massacres in Gaza and to end the Israeli occupation. Palestinian territories.
“Therefore, any attempt to attribute these actions to Iran or its armed forces is misleading, baseless and unacceptable,” Iravani told the Council, adding that Iran never sought to contribute to an overreach. of the conflict, has no military presence in Iraq and has military advisers in Syria at the invitation of the government to fight terrorism.
He rejected claims that Iranian bases in Iraq and Syria had been attacked, calling the allegations “baseless” and attempts “to distract from aggressive US actions.”
UN political chief Rosemary DiCarlo briefed the Council, urging all parties to heed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ call “to step back and consider the unbearable human and economic cost of conflict regional potential”.
She reiterated her call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and action to promote a political road map towards peace in the region.
China’s U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun, a Russian ally, echoed concerns about escalating tensions and actions, and pointed the finger at the United States.
“The United States claims that it is not seeking to create conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else, but in reality it is doing the exact opposite,” Zhang said. “US military actions are undoubtedly fueling further unrest in this region and further intensifying tensions. »
Algerian Ambassador to the UN, Amar Bendjama, Arab representative to the Council, defended the sovereignty of Iraq and Syria and also said that US airstrikes “are likely to further exacerbate the already precarious situation” .
“This could potentially lead to further escalation,” he warned, calling for restraint and de-escalation. “We firmly believe that force is not and will never be a means to achieve peace and stability,” Bendjama said.
