Ambassador's Statement at UNSC: Situation in Syria
Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations has delivered a statement before the Security Council during a session on the situation in Syria. The full text of the statement is as follows:
Statement by
H.E. Mr. Amir Saeid Iravani
Ambassador and Permanent Representative
of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
Before the United Nations Security Council
On “The situation in the Middle East: (Syria)”
New York, 23 October 2024
بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم
Thank you, Madam President.
We thank Mr. Pederson, the Special Envoy, and Ms. Edem Wosornu, the Director of the Operational and Advocacy Division, OCHA, for their briefings. We also listened to views expressed by other briefers.
Respecting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is crucial to ensuring lasting peace and stability in Syria and the region and must be fully upheld by all. The Syrian people have an unquestionable right to determine their own future and destiny, free from external interference.
Madam President,
The Syrian people continue to suffer unbearable hardships, from economic instability to foreign occupation and terrorism. The humanitarian situation remains dire, and Syria is in urgent need of external assistance, especially in light of the sharp reduction in donor contributions for UN programs in the country and the recent influx of refugees from Lebanon.
The UN’s humanitarian plan for Syria is only 26% funded, and the annual pledges made by donors are not being fulfilled. Despite the challenges the Syrian Arab Republic faces, including hostile policies from Western countries and unilateral coercive measures, the Syrian government continues to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need, particularly the influx of Lebanese refugees fleeing the Israeli regime’s aggression.
This commitment must be met with equal resolve from the international community to ensure aid is delivered impartially and without political manipulation. We commend OCHA’s efforts and its partners as well as the attempts and cooperation provided by the Syrian government to mobilize resources to support not only Syrians but also Lebanese arriving from Lebanon.
The international community must support Syria’s recovery efforts, including infrastructure rebuilding and sustainable development. Rebuilding Syria’s critical infrastructure is key to its long-term stability.
At the same time, the fight against terrorism must continue in full respect of Syria’s sovereignty. Eradicating terrorism is essential to restoring peace.
Madam President,
The path to sustainable normalization in Syria is an essential factor for peace and stability in the region. Yet, this process is being obstructed by the destructive policies of Western states. The United States and its allies continue to pursue their failed policy of inhumane, unilateral sanctions, effectively using them as a tool for the collective punishment of the Syrian people.
They are also politicizing humanitarian aid and obstructing international efforts to support Syria’s reconstruction. Such harmful policies and practices have only prolonged the conflict and worsened the suffering of the Syrian people.
Humanitarian assistance and reconstruction efforts should never be politicized or used as tools to pressure Syria. As we have said before, unilateral sanctions must be lifted, both as a legal obligation and a moral necessity, as these harmful and illegal measures only create unnecessary hardship and hinder Syria’s recovery.
On the political track, Iran remains committed to a political resolution of the situation in Syria and will continue supporting a truly Syrian-led, Syrian-owned, UN-facilitated political process. We continue to support the efforts of the United Nations and the Special Envoy, Mr. Pedersen, for the political settlement of the Syrian crisis. Iran will spare no efforts to this end.
We advocate the prompt resumption of the Constitutional Committee meetings as an effective mechanism to start this process. We hope that an agreeable venue for the Committee’s meeting will be decided soon. We continue to believe that Baghdad is the most suitable option. We trust that the UN Special Envoy will double his efforts to facilitate this process.
Madam President,
We strongly condemn the Israeli regime’s continued acts of aggression and brutal attacks on Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, in blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter. The occupying regime is deliberately pursuing a systematic policy to cripple the infrastructure of the Syrian Arab Republic, exacerbating Syria’s security challenges and undermining critical humanitarian efforts.
As detailed in a letter dated 21 October 2024 from the Foreign Minister of the Syrian Arab Republic to the UN Secretary-General, since 7 October 2023, the Israeli regime has launched over 116 attacks on Syrian territory alongside its genocidal war in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories. These terrorist attacks resulted in the deaths of over 100 civilians, including 12 children, and widespread destruction of schools, hospitals, airports, and other civilian infrastructure.
Even refugees fleeing the violence have not been spared, with the regime’s strikes targeting border crossings between Syria and Lebanon, intensifying the humanitarian crisis, and endangering those seeking safety.
These actions are flagrant violations of international law, demanding urgent accountability for the Israeli regime’s ongoing aggression. The protection and support the regime receives from the United States emboldens its continued acts of violence across the region, allowing it to act without consequence.
Now, more than ever, this regime poses a grave and undeniable threat to international peace and security. Its relentless acts of terror are pushing the region to the brink of full-scale war. The Israeli regime’s blatant disregard for all red lines is deeply concerning, as it shamelessly targets humanitarian convoys, facilities, and relief workers without restraint.
On 9 October 2024, the regime deliberately destroyed a humanitarian aid facility established by the Iranian Red Crescent Society, coordinated with Syria, and fully notified the ICRC. This facility, including a field hospital offering life-saving aid to displaced Lebanese civilians, was completely destroyed by the Israeli regime’s airstrikes, an intolerable and reckless assault on humanitarian efforts.
Just yesterday, this regime, in its ongoing campaign of relentless terrorist attacks on civilians in Lebanon, assassinated Iranian doctor and relief worker, Ali Heidari, in Beirut. Dr. Heidari was providing critical medical care, treating the wounded, and assisting those in need of medical care. This heinous crime is a clear violation of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which prohibit attacks on hospitals and medical personnel, constituting a war crime.
In yet another outrageous act, on October 19, the personal vehicle of an Iranian woman named Masoumeh Karbasi, along with her Lebanese husband, was struck by a missile fired from an Israeli regime’s drone in the densely populated area of Jounieh, Beirut, Lebanon. Immediately after the attack, they stopped the car and sought refuge at the side of the street and in an open parking lot nearby. At that moment, a second missile hit them, resulting in both of their martyrdom. This atrocity crime was captured on surveillance cameras and has since been broadcast across media outlets.
In conclusion, Madam President,
Since the start of its genocidal campaign in Gaza and subsequent aggression against Lebanon, the Israeli regime has relentlessly targeted medical facilities and personnel, reducing hospitals to rubble, killing patients and the wounded, and martyring hundreds of healthcare workers. This brutal assault on humanitarian services must not go unanswered, and the perpetrators must be held accountable.
The international community stands united in its call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, and the Security Council must fulfill its responsibility.
We once again urge the Council to take swift, decisive action to compel the Israeli regime to end its aggression and atrocity crimes in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, and to ensure full compliance with international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions. The time for action is now.
I thank you.