UNSC condemns Israeli strike in Syria, but the US, UK, and France do not

The majority of diplomats denounced Israel at a Tuesday emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, claiming that Israel’s bombing of an Iranian diplomatic residence in Syria violated both international law and the UN charter, which safeguards diplomatic properties.

While the US, France, and Britain refrained from denouncing Israel, they did join other countries in stating that diplomatic channels should be closed during times of conflict and that the airstrikes that occurred on Monday in the Syrian capital of Damascus carried the potential of further destabilising the region of West Asia.

The UN assistant secretary general, Khaled Khiari, warned the Council that “any miscalculation could lead to broader conflict in an already volatile region, with devastating consequences for civilians.” Iran’s close ally Russia had requested the conference to address Israel’s assault after Iran’s UN delegation claimed in a letter to the international organisation that the airstrikes were illegal under international law.