Some 24 hours after Iran launched some 200 ballistic missiles against Israel, as part of a Security Council briefing on escalating violence in the Middle East, the United States blamed Iran to “fan the flames of war” in the Middle East. region.
“The region deserves lasting peace, it is time for the Council to hold Iran accountable for fanning the flames of war,” said North American Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield during her speech and stressed that the United States “is fully in favor of Israel.
Greenfield’s comments follow the official line set yesterday by the White House, closing ranks with Benjamin Netanyahu’s government when it comes to responding to Tehran’s attacks. “The Iranian regime will be held responsible for what it has done, let us warn Iran and its proxies that they do not act against the United States or Israel,” Greenfield said.
In addition, the ambassador announced to the Security Council that Washington would impose “more sanctions” against Iran. Pentagon spokesman General Pat Ryder assured yesterday that there would be “security and economic consequences” for the ayatollahs’ regime following its attacks with ballistic missiles – most of which were intercepted and not caused no casualties.
Tel Aviv and Washington have promised that Tehran’s missile launch would have “serious consequences”. The Pentagon and White House said Tuesday they were in close talks with Israel to decide how to respond to the Iranian attack.
“We must redouble our efforts to seek a diplomatic solution that guarantees the security of all people in the region. In the meantime, there is no doubt that we will continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself against any Iranian-backed terrorist group,” Greenfield said. The US ambassador’s remarks once again reflect the verbal gymnastics that Washington practices in the face of Israel’s actions.
Last week, at the opening of the 79th UN General Assembly, the United States proposed a ceasefire in Lebanon to end violence between Israel and Hezbollah, but Netanyahu rejected it. When the Israeli army invaded southern Lebanon early Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the “limited” border operation to “dismantle Hezbollah.”
As Israel advances its offensive, the credibility and room for maneuver of the diplomatic solution defended by Washington, which has never stopped sending weapons to Israel, diminishes. “We are determined to do everything possible to end the war in Gaza, we are working to achieve a ceasefire and the release of the hostages,” recalled the ambassador.
“Systematic violations of international humanitarian law”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also called on the Security Council to end the “spiral of violence and reprisals” that has been unleashed in the region. “We cannot turn our eyes away from the systematic violations of international humanitarian law,” demanded Guterres in the face of Israel’s impunity, which continues with its invasion of Lebanon and shows the impotence of the organization in the face of escalation.
Last Friday, Netanyahu threatened Iran from the lectern of the United Nations General Assembly. This Wednesday, Israel declared Guterres “persona non grata”. “Over the next few days, we have seen a dramatic escalation, so dramatic that I wonder what remains of the framework that this council established with resolution 1701,” lamented António Guterres, referring to the resolution unanimously approved by this body in 2006 to end the conflict. hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel.
Five days before the first anniversary of the Gaza war, Guterres once again called for an “immediate” ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages. “Since last October, Israel has waged the deadliest and most destructive military campaign in Gaza during my years as secretary-general. The suffering that the Palestinian people have endured in Gaza is unimaginable,” he denounced.
