Envoy Deplores Israel’s Air Raid on Syria as “Unjustifiable, Provocative”

Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Mohammad Khazayee strongly condemned the recent Israeli airstrike on Damascus as “unjustifiable and provocative”, and called on the international community to show proper reaction to the move.

In a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the current president of the UN General Assembly, Khazayee said that the Israeli aggression against Syria was “a serious violation of the international laws”.

“Nothing can justify the use of force and aggression against an independent country and the aggressor should be accountable for the consequences of its illegitimate move which has endangered international peace and security,” the Iranian diplomat stated.

He added that the Israeli move will seriously increase tension and instability in the region.

On Sunday, Syria said the Israeli regime had carried out an airstrike targeting a research center in a suburb of Damascus after heavy losses were inflicted on al-Qaeda-affiliated groups by the Syrian army. According to Syrian media reports, Israeli rockets struck the Jamraya research center.

Syria’s Foreign Ministry sent letters to the United Nations and its Security Council stating that Israel’s aggression shows the links between Tel Aviv and terrorist groups operating in Syria including the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front.

Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoabi told reporters in Damascus on Sunday that Syria had the right and the duty to defend its people by all available means and it would not give in to Israeli acts of aggression.

The Israeli attacks on Syria have made the Middle-East more dangerous, the Syrian information minister said.

The Sunday Israeli aggression was Tel Aviv’s second strike on Syria in three days.

The Jamraya facility was also targeted in an Israeli airstrike in January.