Russia and China have accused the United States of stoking tensions within the already risky Middle East with its latest strikes on Iran-backed teams within the area.
The U.S. navy struck dozens of targets in Syria and Iraq in a single day on Friday into Saturday, in retaliation for a Jan. 28 drone assault on a base in Jordan that killed three U.S. troopers.
The strikes, which focused elite Iranian items and pro-Iranian armed teams, have led to fears that Israel’s warfare on Gaza might spiral right into a regional battle.
“It’s clear that American airstrikes are specifically, deliberately aimed to stoke the conflict,” mentioned Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia, whose nation had known as for the emergency assembly.
China’s Ambassador Jun Zhang equally claimed that the “U.S. actions will certainly exacerbate the vicious cycle of tit-for-tat violence in the Middle East.”
Anger over Israel’s devastating marketing campaign in Gaza – which started after the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion – has grown throughout the Middle East, stoking violence involving Iran-backed teams in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
A U.N. official known as 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,” mentioned Rosemary DiCarlo, under-secretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs.
The American strikes have drawn criticism from the governments of Iraq and Syria, and in addition from Iran, which denies any function in final month’s drone assault.
“Any attempt to attribute these actions to Iran or its armed forces is misleading, baseless and unacceptable,” Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani instructed the Council Monday.
He pledged that if Iran faces “any threat, attack or aggression affecting its security,” it could “not hesitate to exercise its inherent rights … to respond firmly.”
The White House mentioned Sunday it plans extra retaliatory motion.
“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,” mentioned Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood.
“We are not seeking a direct conflict with Iran, but we will continue to defend our personnel against unacceptable attacks. Period,” he added.
Source: www.dailysabah.com