Ambassador's Statement at UNSC: Situation in Syria

Iran's Ambassador has delivered a statement before the Security Council during a session to discuss 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, 18 December 2025

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

 

Thank you, Mr. President.

We thank Under Secretary General, Ms. Di Carlo, and Assistant Secretary General. Ms. Msuya, for their informative briefings. We listened to the views shared by Ms. Mariyam Jalabi.

Mr. President,

We note the recent visiting mission of the Security Council to Syria and Lebanon, initiated by Algeria, Denmark, and Slovenia, as well as the report presented today.

We hope this visit will lead to concrete and effective outcomes by the Council, especially to compel the Israeli regime to end its occupation and cease its unlawful actions immediately.

Regarding the situation in Syria, I wish to make the following points:

First, one year has passed since the establishment of the Syrian Interim Government. Over the past year, important transitional steps have been undertaken by Damascus. At the same time, the Syrian people continue to face acute social, humanitarian, economic, and security hardships. The continued operation of armed groups outside the control of the Syrian authorities—marked by arbitrary violence against civilians and violations of minority rights—remains deeply alarming and poses a serious threat to peace, stability, and national cohesion.

The tragic incidents witnessed over the past year in the coastal regions and in Suwayda underscore the urgent need to restore full State authority, uphold the rule of law, and prevent the exploitation of sectarian and communal divisions for violent ends. In this regard, we note the decision by the interim Syrian Government to establish national mechanisms to investigate the incidents in coastal areas and the crimes committed in Suwayda and to hold perpetrators accountable.

Second, the resurgence of terrorism remains a grave and immediate threat to Syria and the wider region. The re-emergence and growing operational capacity of ISIS/Daesh, including recent terrorist attacks, serve as a stark reminder of the persistent nature of this threat. Iran unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and reiterates that counter-terrorism efforts must be comprehensive, non-selective, and fully consistent with international law, respect for the sovereignty and territory of the Syrian Arab Republic.

Third, we take note of additional developments on the ground, including the return of more than one million refugees and nearly two million internally displaced persons to their homes, as well as the easing of certain sanctions and improved humanitarian access. While these developments are encouraging, the situation remains fragile. Over the past year, the Israeli regime has intensified its unlawful use of force, expanded its military footprint, and pursued policies aimed at consolidating and normalizing its occupation of Syrian land.

We strongly condemn Israel’s unlawful incursion into the town of Bayt Jinn on 28 November 2025, during which Israeli terrorist forces killed 13 civilians, including women and children, injured dozens, and forcibly displaced residents through deliberate and indiscriminate shelling of civilian homes. As mentioned in the letter dated 28 November 2025 from the Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council (A/80/551-S/2025/778), this criminal assault constitutes a grave war crime under international law. The assault—and the resistance of local residents to Israeli aggression with the support of the Syrian interim Government—underscores the inevitable and destabilizing consequences of prolonged occupation and repeated acts of aggression.

Israel’s actions are neither defensive nor incidental; they are part of a deliberate strategy to entrench occupation, fragment Syria, and weaken its national cohesion by exploiting ethnic and sectarian differences and promoting separatist agendas. Such conduct constitutes a direct threat to regional peace and security.

The Security Council cannot remain passive in the face of these violations. Reaffirmations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria is legally hollow and empty words if not accompanied by concrete measures to compel compliance by the Israeli occupying regime. Continued inaction, selective silence, or the political shielding of Israel by a permanent member of this Council serves only to normalize and legitimize its occupation and acts of aggression and renders the Council’s resolutions ineffective and unenforceable.

Fourth, from the outset of Syria’s political transition, the Islamic Republic of Iran has acted responsibly and consistently supported Syria’s sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, and the freely expressed will of its people. As a contiguous neighbor, Iran considers Syria’s stability and territorial integrity essential to regional peace and security.

We firmly believe that addressing Syria’s challenges requires, first and foremost, an immediate end to Israel’s aggressions and occupation; effective and principled counter-terrorism efforts; and continued efforts by the Syrian authorities to protect minority rights and advance a genuinely inclusive political process enabling the meaningful participation of all components of Syrian society.

The Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to support a sovereign, stable, and secure Syria and its reintegration into the international community.

Thank you.