Iran Warns Israeli Aggression in Syria Threatens Regional Security

UNITED NATIONS: Iran has warned that Israel’s occupation of Syrian territory and ongoing acts of aggression pose a “direct threat” to peace and security in West Asia, the country’s ambassador to the United Nations said on Thursday.

Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on Syria, Amir Saeid Iravani condemned Israel for intensifying its unlawful use of force, expanding its military presence, and seeking to consolidate its occupation over Syrian land over the past year.

“Israel’s actions are neither defensive nor incidental; they are part of a deliberate strategy to entrench occupation, fragment Syria, and weaken its national cohesion by exploiting ethnic and sectarian divisions,” Iravani said. He described these acts as a clear threat to regional peace and security.

The Iranian diplomat specifically denounced Israel’s attack last month on the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside, which killed 13 people and injured 25 others, calling it a grave war crime under international law.

Iravani urged the Security Council to take “concrete measures” to compel Israel to respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He warned that continued inaction or political shielding of Israel by permanent members of the Council risks legitimizing occupation and aggression and undermining Council resolutions.

Since the collapse of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024, Israel has carried out frequent airstrikes and ground incursions in southern Syria and established checkpoints across the country, he said. Israel has also expanded control over the occupied Golan Heights, in violation of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.

The Iranian envoy also highlighted threats posed by armed groups operating outside government control, arbitrary violence against civilians, and violations of minority rights. He stressed the urgent need for restoring full state authority and upholding the rule of law in Syria, particularly amid sectarian violence in coastal regions and Suweida Province.

Iravani further noted that the resurgence of terrorism remains an immediate threat to Syria and the wider region. Iran welcomed the return of more than one million Syrian refugees and nearly two million internally displaced persons, alongside the easing of certain sanctions against the country.

“Addressing Syria’s challenges requires, first and foremost, an immediate end to Israel’s aggression and occupation; effective counter-terrorism measures; and continued efforts by Syrian authorities to protect minority rights and advance an inclusive political process,” he said.

He concluded by emphasizing that Iran supports a sovereign, stable, and secure Syria, and its full reintegration into the international community, considering Syria’s stability essential for regional peace.