TRANSCRIPT
Israel, backed by the United States, and Iran on Wednesday threatened each other with retaliation if attacked as the United Nations Security Council met amid fears of a wider war in the Middle East.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has told the 15-member council that the violence needs to stop.
“It's high time for a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon; re-election towards full implementation of Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1701, paving the way for diplomatic efforts for sustainable peace. It's high time to stop the sickening cycle of escalation after escalation that is leading the people of the Middle East straight over the cliff. Each escalation has served as a pretext for the next. We must never lose sight of the tremendous toll that this growing conflict is taking on civilians. And we cannot look away from systematic violations of international humanitarian law. This deadly cycle of tit for tat violence must stop.”
The council met after Israel killed the leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, and began a ground assault against the Iran-backed militant group, then attacked Israel with around 180 ballistic missiles.
Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon says Israel will retaliate against Iran for the strikes which injured a small number of Israelis and killed a Palestinian in the West Bank.
“Let me be clear. Israel will defend itself. We will act. And let me assure you, the consequences Iran will face for their actions will be far greater than they could ever have imagined.”
He is calling on the world to stand with Israel against Iran.
“Now the world must step up. Iran must pay a heavy price for this attack - anything less is complicity. ... We demand immediate, crippling sanctions on Iran.”
Iran's UN Ambassador Amir Saied Iravani says the missile attack on Tuesday was to restore balance and deterrence.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently pursued peace and stability for the region and called for an immediate ceasefire and the cessation of civilian casualties, a position we have maintained for over a year. Yet experience has proven that Israel only understands the language of force. Diplomacy has repeatedly failed as Israel views restraint not as a gesture of goodwill, but as a weakness to exploit. Each act of restraint taken by Iran has only emboldened Israel to commit even greater crimes and more acts of aggression. Consequently, Iran's response was a necessity to restore balance and deterrence.”
He is warning that should Israel retaliate to Iran's retaliatory strikes for the killing of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, Iran would retaliate again.
“Iran is fully prepared to take further defensive measures, if necessary, to protect its legitimate interests and defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty against any acts of military aggression and the illegal use of force. In this regard, Iran will have no hesitation.”
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield tells the council that her nation's support for Israel has been defensive.
“As President Biden emphasised, following yesterday's attack, the United States is fully, fully, fully supportive of Israel. Our actions have been defensive in nature. Let me be clear. The Iranian regime will be held responsible for its actions, and we strongly warn against Iran or its proxies taking actions against the United States or further actions against Israel.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Israel's foreign minister said he was barring UN Secretary-General António Guterres from entering Israel as he had not condemned Iran's attack on Israel.
Mr Guterres has now told the council he strongly condemns Iran's attack on Israel.
Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia has praised Iran for its restraint in recent months.
“After a series of political killings, including the killing of the Hamas Political Bureau chairman, (Ismail) Haniyeh, the secretary-general of Hezbollah, (Hassan) Nasrallah and other leaders of resistance movements, Iran came into the confrontation. Iran, who for two whole months had been showing exceptional restraint, under the circumstances.”
He says the missile attack on Israel was caused by Israel's own actions.
“It's difficult to imagine what kind of role the diplomatic process would play when the situation is viewed this way and is presented as though all of this happened in a vacuum, as though nothing is happening and nothing did happen in Lebanon, in Gaza, in Syria, in Yemen - but it did happen, and it led to a new, very dangerous spiral of a widening Middle East conflict.”
Israel says regular infantry and armoured units are joining the operation, which it says is limited in scope.
Meanwhile, Israel says eight of its soldiers have been killed in fighting in southern Lebanon as it continues its ground invasion of the country against Hezbollah.
The losses were the deadliest suffered by the Israeli military in clashes over the past year between Israel and Hezbollah.
Shortly afterwards, Israel carried out a deadly airstrike on a Hezbollah rescue facility in central Beirut, killing at least six people.
Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric says Lebanon's borders must be respected.
“The Secretary-General expresses his extreme concern with the escalation of the conflict in Lebanon. He appeals for an immediate ceasefire. An all-out war must be avoided at all costs, he said, and the territorial integrity of Lebanon must be respected.”
Lebanon is urging the international community to intervene in the conflict and says 1,000 people have been killed over the past two weeks, and around one million people may be displaced.
Meanwhile. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered condolences to the families of eight soldiers killed in combat in southern Lebanon.
The deaths were reported Wednesday following Israel's ground incursion across the northern border, just before Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year.
“I would like to send my condolences from the bottom of my heart to the families of our heroes who fell today in Lebanon. God will save their blood. May their memory be blessed. We are in the middle of a tough war against evil axis of Iran, which seeks to wipe us out. This will not happen - because we will stand together, and with God's help - we will win together. We will return our hostages in the south, we will return our residents in the north, we will guarantee the eternity of Israel.”
In Gaza, the Palestinian Health Ministry has reported that at least 51 Palestinian have been killed in the enclave on Wednesday, as the Israeli military has stepped up attacks alongside its ongoing air and ground offensive in Lebanon.
