Russia condemns US for 'threatening peace' in the Middle East with 'illegal' attacks
(Baonghean.vn) - Moscow's special envoy said at the United Nations that, according to international law, the Pentagon's attacks in Syria and Iraq are illegal.
According to RT, Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia recently said that Washington is fanning the flames of conflict in the Middle East by conducting illegal attacks in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
For its part, Russia has requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council after the US launched airstrikes in Syria and Iraq in response to a drone attack on a US military outpost in Jordan.
Mr. Nebenzia said at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York on February 5 that the bombings "once again demonstrated the aggressive nature of US policy in the Middle East and Washington's complete disregard for the norms of international law."
The Russian diplomat said the US was "adding fuel to the fire" by carrying out attacks that posed a "direct threat to international peace and security" and undermined "the central role of the United Nations." He reiterated that US bases in Syria were "illegal" because the US military presence had not been authorized by Damascus.
Speaking before the Security Council, the US deputy representative for special political affairs, Robert Wood, said the attacks were “necessary and proportionate, consistent with international law and in the exercise of the inherent right of the United States to self-defense.”
On January 28, a suicide drone attacked a US outpost called Tower 22 near the Jordan-Syria border, killing three US soldiers. The Iraqi Islamic Resistance, an umbrella group for Shiite Muslim militias, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The White House has accused Iran of masterminding the attacks on US personnel. Tehran denies the allegations, insisting the militias are operating independently and targeting US troops because Washington continues to support Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza.
The US and UK have also struck Houthi sites in Yemen in response to Shiite rebels' drone and missile attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis have vowed to continue targeting ships until a lasting ceasefire is declared in Gaza. Meanwhile, the US has promised to continue protecting “the freedom of navigation that underpins global commerce in one of the world’s most important waterways.”
