Iran offers Israel off-ramp to ‘conclude’ attack after launching missiles, drones on Jewish state
Iran through its United Nations mission in New York issued a statement that appeared to offer Israel a way to prevent further escalation if they consider their conflict 'concluded.'
'Conducted on the strength of Article 51 of the UN Charter pertaining to legitimate defense, Iran’s military action was in response to the Zionist regime’s aggression against our diplomatic premises in Damascus,' the mission’s statement, posted on social media platform X, read.
'The matter can be deemed concluded,' the mission argued. 'However, should the Israeli regime make another mistake, Iran’s response will be considerably more severe. It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the U.S. MUST STAY AWAY!'
Iran on Saturday night local time launched three waves of projectiles, consisting of suicide drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, at Israel in response to an attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. Many attribute the attack, which killed seven high-ranking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members, to Israel, but no Israeli official has taken credit for the strike.
Article 51 of the United Nations charter makes clear that 'nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security.'
Iran has in the past not adhered to the diplomatic protection of embassies and consulates, particularly regarding the U.S. and Israel: Iran and its chief strategic ally, the U.S.-designated terrorist movement Hezbollah, in Lebanon have been blamed for bombing the U.S. Embassy in Beirut in 1983 in which 63 people, including 17 Americans, were murdered, and dual suicide truck bombers blew up the barracks of American and French members of a multinational force in Lebanon in 1983, in which 220 U.S. Marines, 18 U.S. Navy sailors and 3 U.S. Army soldiers lost their lives. 58 French troops were also murdered in the terrorist attack.
Most recently, an Argentine court determined that Iran, working with its proxy Hezbollah, was responsible for the bombings on the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) and Israeli embassy in 1994, The Associated Press reported.
Radical Iranian students in 1979 seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran and held roughly 52 Americans hostages as what became known as the Iran Hostage Crisis. The crisis 'dominated the headlines and news broadcasts' and allegedly played a significant part in hurting then-President Jimmy Carter’s image and further eroding his popularity ahead of the 1980 presidential election, which he lost in a landslide.
Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations last week tabled a motion to condemn Israel for the Damascus strike, but the United States, Britain and France all opposed the statement and prevented its adoption as they argued too many facts about the attack remained unclear and members failed to reach a consensus.
Russia and Iran blasted members of the Security Council for failing to adopt the statement, which Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov labeled a 'political killing,' according to Middle East Monitor.
Fox News' Benjamin Weinthal contributed to this article.
