‘US Should be Answerable’: FM After Deadly Israeli Attack on Iran Consulate

Tuesday, 02 April 2024 1:00 AM

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian

Iran’s foreign minister says, as the Israeli regime’s biggest supporter, the United States should be “answerable” following an earlier deadly attack by Tel Aviv against the Iranian consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a post on X, formerly Twitter, in early Tuesday.

The Monday attack resulted in the martyrdom of Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), his deputy, and five of their accompanying officers. Iran's Ambassador to Damascus Hossein Akbari confirmed that the attack had resulted in the martyrdom of seven people, but said the exact number of the martyrs was yet to be specified.

Amir-Abdollahian said Iran's Foreign Ministry had summoned the chargé d'affaires of Switzerland, which represents Washington's interests in Tehran, after the attack.

‘Important message’

“During the summoning, the dimensions of the Israeli regime’s terrorist attack and crime were explained, and the American administration’s responsibility underlined,” read the post by the Iranian top diplomat.

“An important message was relayed to the American administration as the Zionist regime’s supporter,” it noted. “The United States should be answerable.”

The US has historically acted as the regime’s biggest ally, providing it with billions of dollars in terms of military aid on an annual basis and shielding Tel Aviv against condemnatory and punitive measures at the United Nations by vetoing those measures.

Many regional resistance groups and countries around the world condemn the Israeli regime’s earlier deadly attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria’s capital.

Also on Monday, Amir-Abdollahian held a telephone conversation with Hissein Brahim Taha, secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, urging the body to issue an “appropriate reaction” to the Israeli atrocity.

For his part, the OIC chief vehemently condemned the attack, pointing to the regime’s crime-riddled history and condoling with the Iranian government and nation.

Many regional resistance groups and countries around the world have strongly condemned the aggression, calling it a recipe for further escalation.

Separately on Monday, Iran urged the United Nations Security Council to strongly condemn the Israeli aggression, calling for an urgent meeting on the regime’s violation.

Writing to the Council, Iran's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Zahra Ershadi denounced the aggression as a “heinous and abhorrent terrorist attack.”

“These horrific crimes and cowardly terrorist attacks are a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter, international law, and the foundational principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises,” she wrote.

Such atrocities, the letter added, also “pose a significant threat to regional peace and security.”

According to the letter, Iran urged the Council to condemn the aggression “in the strongest terms possible,” calling on the body to take “all necessary measures, including through an urgent meeting, to address this egregious violation.”