Iran threatened disaster in the form of an “uncontrolled explosion” regarding the situation in the Middle East, after the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.
“As long as America supports the crimes of the Zionist regime [Israel] and the continuation of the war… there is the possibility of an uncontrolled explosion in the situation in the region,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran’s top diplomat, told UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in a telephone call, according to a statement from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, quoted Monday (11/12/2023).
Iran’s foreign minister hailed the UN Secretary General’s decision to invoke Article 99 of the UN Charter – a move condemned by Israel – as a “courageous act to maintain international peace and security.”
Tehran, Israel’s enemy, is Hamas’ main supporter. They also have a number of proxies in the Middle East, ranging from Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Houthis in Yemen.
“The Israeli regime’s claim that Hamas has violated the ceasefire is completely false,” Amir-Abdollahian told Guterres, adding that US support for Israel “has made it difficult to achieve a lasting ceasefire.”
The US vetoed a UN resolution on Friday that was supported by 13 of the 15 members of the Security Council.
Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood criticized the council after the vote for its failure to condemn the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel – which killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 240 hostages.
Wood said the resolution is “different from reality” and “will not lead to progress on the ground.” He stated that stopping military action would allow Hamas to continue ruling Gaza and “only plants the seeds for the next war.”
He attacked supporters of the resolution, criticizing them for rushing into it and not changing calls for an unconditional ceasefire.
“Therefore, while the United States strongly supports a lasting peace, in which both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security, we do not support calls for an immediate ceasefire,” Wood said.
Source : CNBC
