NEW YORK, April 3 — Russia accused Israel yesterday of seeking to fuel conflict in the Middle East, blaming it for a strike on Iran’s consulate in Syria that killed at least 13 people.
Slamming the “flagrant violation” of Syria’s sovereignty, Moscow’s United Nations envoy Vasily Nebenzia told a Security Council meeting that Russia was “of the view that such aggressive actions by Israel are designed to further fuel the conflict. They are absolutely unacceptable and must stop”.
Tehran has vowed to retaliate for the strike on Monday, which killed more than a dozen people — including senior members of the Revolutionary Guards — while Israel has so far declined to comment.
Algeria’s UN ambassador Amar Bendjama told the meeting, “the aim of such an act — deliberate act — is obvious: responding to international pressures by escalating the conflict, which prolong the killing of Palestinians for internal, political calculation”.
He said Israel wants to “draw the entire region into conflict.”
Most members of the council condemned the attack as a violation of the inviolability of diplomatic property but without mentioning Israel. — AFP