The US military struck dozens of targets in Syria and Iraq overnight on Friday into Saturday, in retaliation for a January 28 drone attack on a base in Jordan that killed three US soldiers.
The strikes, which targeted elite Iranian units and pro-Iranian militant groups, have led to fears that the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza could spiral into a regional conflict.
"It's clear that American airstrikes are specifically, deliberately aimed to stoke the conflict," said Russian ambassador Vasily Nebenzia, whose country had called for the emergency meeting.
China's ambassador Jun Zhang similarly claimed that the "US actions will certainly exacerbate the vicious cycle of tit-for-tat violence in the Middle East."
Anger over Israel's devastating campaign in Gaza -- which began after an unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7 -- has grown across the Middle East, stoking violence involving Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
A UN official called for "all parties to step back from the brink and to consider the unbearable human and economic cost of a potential regional conflict."
"I appeal to the Council to continue to actively engage all concerned parties to prevent further escalation and the worsening of tensions that undermine regional peace and security," said Rosemary DiCarlo, under-secretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs.
The American strikes have drawn criticism from the governments of Iraq and Syria, and also from Iran, which denies any role in last month's drone attack.
"Any attempt to attribute these actions to Iran or its armed forces is misleading, baseless and unacceptable," Iranian ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the Council on Monday.
He pledged that if Iran faces "any threat, attack or aggression affecting its security," it would "not hesitate to exercise its inherent rights... to respond firmly."
The White House said Sunday it plans more retaliatory action.
"Let me be clear, United States does not desire more conflict in a region when we are actively working to contain and deescalate the conflict in Gaza," said deputy ambassador Robert Wood.
He added: "We are not seeking a direct conflict with Iran, but we will continue to defend our personnel against unacceptable attacks. Period."
Blinken returns to Middle East in mission to free hostages, pause war
Washington DC (UPI) Feb 5, 2024 -
Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to the Middle East for a four-day trip aimed at freeing the remaining hostages in Gaza and to seek an extended pause in the Israel-Hamas war.
Blinken's visit extends until Thursday and will include stops in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, and the West Bank, marking his fifth visit to the region since the conflict began Oct. 7, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
In talks with U.S. foreign partners, Blinken will discuss strategies to free dozens of hostages still held by Hamas, deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees, and contain the war as fighting has spilled beyond Gaza amid continuing attacks by Iran-backed militants, the State Department said.
Blinken's visit takes place as the United States and Britain launched a second round of airstrikes against Houthi-controlled targets in Yemen as the Iran proxy militia continues to fire on commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea.
A day earlier, the U.S. launched strikes on militias in Syria and Iraq that killed at least 39 people and injured dozens more in both countries, according to international observers.
President Joe Biden ordered the retaliatory strikes after three American soldiers were killed and more than 40 other U.S. troops wounded a week earlier in a drone attack in Jordan near the border with Iraq and Syria.
The U.S. continues to blame Iran-backed militants for increasing instability in the region, while Iran has denied any connection to recent aggressions.
Blinken's visit is intended to emphasize that "the United States would take appropriate steps to defend its personnel and the right to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea," the State Department said.
The primary goal for Washington is to establish a more integrated, peaceful region that includes lasting security for both Israelis and Palestinians, while Blinken previously called for "equal measures of dignity and security."
During his last trip to the Middle East on Jan. 7, Blinken met with Qatari Prime Minister Al Thani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Jordanian King Abdullah II, with whom he stressed the critical importance of preventing the war from spreading.
"We share a commitment to ensure that the conflict does not expand, and I think we also share a commitment to use the influence, the relationships, the ties that we have with different parties in the region to try to avoid escalation and to deter new fronts from opening," he said at the time.
Since then, new fighting has erupted between Israel and the Lebanese military group Hezbollah as Houthi rebels have escalated attacks on ships in the Red Sea, while militants launch strikes on U.S. military personnel in Iraq and Syria..
Related Links
Space War News
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
