Israel Responsible for Repercussions of Attack on Iranian Consulate in Damascus: Amir-Abdollahian

Monday, 01 April 2024 7:16 PM

Press TV

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (R) and his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has censured the recent Israeli attack on the Consular Section of the Iranian Embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus, stressing that the occupying regime will be responsible for the repercussions of its criminal action.

Amir-Abdollahian made the statement in a phone conversation on Monday with his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad, who had called to discuss the various aspects of the latest Israeli aggression in the Arab country.

Condemning the attack as a violation of all international obligations and conventions, Amir-Abdollahian said the Zionist regime would be responsible for the consequences of this action as he emphasized the need for a serious response by the international community to such criminal measures.

The top Iranian diplomat also thanked Mekdad for visiting the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Damascus shortly after the Israeli attack.

“[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu has completely lost his mental equilibrium due to the back-to-back defeats of the Israeli regime in Gaza and his failure to achieve the ambitious goals of the Zionists,” Amir-Abdollahian added.

The Syrian foreign minister, for his part, condemned the regime's attack "in the strongest terms," and described it as a gross violation of international regulations, especially the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Syria's official news agency, SANA, said the deadly aggression was carried out by “the Israeli enemy” and targeted the Mezzeh neighborhood in Damascus on Monday afternoon. 

Iran's Ambassador to Damascus Hossein Akbari confirmed the reports of the Israeli attack and said the regime had targeted the consular building with six missiles.

Akbari said five to seven people were martyred in the Israeli aggression, including a number of Iranian advisers who were in the building. Two police officers were also among those killed in the attack.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani denounced the brutal Israeli attack, saying it was a blatant violation of international regulations, particularly the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

In a statement, Kan'ani added that the international community and the United Nations should condemn Israel's act of aggression "in the strongest terms" and take necessary measures to counter the aggressor.

He noted that investigations are underway to determine the aspects of the "hateful attack," and emphasized that Israel is responsible for its repercussions.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its rights to take countermeasures, and will decide on the type of response and punishment of the aggressor," Kan'ani said.