Iran’s foreign ministry has called for Israel’s expulsion from the United Nations following a reported Israeli airstrike in Damascus, Syria, that killed several civilians.
According to Syria’s state-run news agency, SANA, the “Israeli enemy launched an aerial act of aggression from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan.” The agency reported that the strike targeted a residential building in the Sayyidah Zaynab district, killing several civilians, including women and children.
In a statement on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei “vehemently condemned Sunday’s aggressive attack by the Zionist regime,” and accused international organizations of ignoring alleged Israeli strikes.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) typically neither confirms nor denies such attacks.
Baghaei urged the international community to “take practical and effective measures against the Zionist regime, including imposing an arms embargo, expelling the regime from the United Nations, and prosecuting and punishing its leaders.”
He asserted that Israel routinely targets Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian territory with impunity due to its “unconditional support” from the US and “certain European nations.” He described these countries as “accomplices in the genocide and war crimes committed” by Israel in Gaza and other parts of the region.
Earlier this month, Malaysia drafted a resolution for the United Nations General Assembly calling for Israel’s removal from the organization based on its actions in Palestine.
Amid its ongoing military operation against Hamas militants in Gaza, as well as rising tensions with Iran, Israel’s relations with the UN have become increasingly strained.
In early October, West Jerusalem declared UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata, accusing him of failing to unequivocally condemn a previous Iranian missile attack on the Jewish state. Following Tehran’s strike, Guterres stated in a post on X that he condemned the overall broadening of the Middle East conflict.
Over 100 UN member states have signed a letter denouncing Israel’s decision regarding Guterres. The document asserted that “such actions undermine the United Nations’ ability to carry out its mandate, which includes mediating conflicts and providing humanitarian support.”