Iran appeales to the UN and the Security Council to denounce assaults on its diplomatic facilities in Syria
Iran's envoy to the United Nations has urged both the global organization and the UN Security Council to firmly denounce recent assaults by militants, spearheaded by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), targeting Iranian diplomatic and consular facilities in Syria following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Amir Saeid Iravani has communicated in two identical letters addressed to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and the Security Council’s current President, Linda Thomas-Greenfield. In his correspondence, Iravani asserts that the described actions represent clear breaches of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963). These international agreements ensure the protection and inviolability of diplomatic missions and their personnel.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has emphasized the importance of maintaining the sanctity of diplomatic and consular premises and their representatives, in strict compliance with international law, a representative stated.
Iran’s permanent envoy to the United Nations emphasized that no single individual, organization, or nation possesses the authority to perpetrate or enable such violations.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has called on the United Nations Secretary-General and the Security Council to explicitly condemn the recent severe violations and to implement appropriate actions to safeguard diplomatic staff and facilities, as well as to prevent any future incidents of this nature, stated Iravani.
On Sunday, online videos emerged showing militants vandalizing a poster outside the Iranian embassy, which depicted the late Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, revered as a martyred anti-terror commander in Iran, alongside Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
The diplomatic mission sustained significant damage after individuals shattered windows and ransacked offices, leading to extensive vandalism and the theft of archives and documents.
In a distinct incident on November 29, militants launched short-range shells at the Iranian consulate situated in the northwestern Syrian city of Aleppo, posing a threat to the safety of the consular personnel.
The consulate faced an incursion and sustained damage after its personnel were evacuated in response to life-threatening assaults.
In a coordinated operation on November 27, militants launched an unexpected dual assault on the Syrian city of Aleppo and the surrounding rural areas of Idlib.
Shortly thereafter, they took control of several key Syrian cities, such as Hama, Homs, Dara’a, and Suwayda, before making their way into the capital, Damascus, on December 8.
On Sunday, armed factions spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants declared their complete takeover of Damascus, corroborating reports of the collapse of the Assad regime.
