On April 1, Israel targeted the Embassy complex of Iran in Damascus, Syria, resulting in the destruction of the building housing its consular section. The attack claimed the lives of sixteen people, including eight officers from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and two Syrian civilians.
Iran, rightfully, viewed this act as a declaration of war. The principle that prohibits attacks on embassies is rooted in customary international law and is also enshrined in various international treaties and conventions, notably the Charter of the United Nations as well as the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
According to this convention, diplomatic missions, including embassies, are considered inviolable and must not be subjected to any form of attack or interference. Any such actions are deemed a violation of international law and can lead to diplomatic repercussions and sanctions.
Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations for the United Nations, said after the attack, “The rules-based international order is essential for international peace and security, which this Council is mandated to maintain,” in his briefing to the UN Security Council after the attack.
The UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel’s attack on the Iranian consulate was blocked by the US, UK, and France.
Once again, the West missed an opportunity to de-escalate tensions and demonstrate a semblance of impartiality, a gesture Tehran hinted might have deterred it from retaliating against Israel with the subsequent launch of over 300 missiles two weeks later.
As expected, Western powers, neglectful of principles of law and order following Israel’s assault on the Iranian consulate, promptly extended unwavering solidarity and backing to Israel as it confronted the aftermath of its actions.
During the House of Commons debate on Israel’s attack on the Consulate and Iran’s subsequent retaliation, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned Iran for exercising its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter notably failed to mention Israel’s bombing of the Consulate. It was an omission pointed out by George Galloway MP, who noted that there was not “one single word in the Prime Minister’s statement of condemnation of the Israeli destruction of the Iranian consulate in Damascus.”
The Prime Minister responded, “Whatever may have happened a few weeks ago… it is absolutely no justification for launching more than 300 drones and missiles from one sovereign state towards Israel.” Again, when Tory MP Rehman Chisti asked about Israel’s bombing of the Consulate, the PM replied, “Whatever happened in that situation has not been confirmed,” despite a global consensus that Israel had indeed attacked the consulate.
Even his Foreign Secretary openly admitted to Israel’s attack on the consulate. David Cameron begrudgingly conceded to Sky News that the UK “would take very strong action” if its consulate had been targeted, only to irrationally complain that Iran’s reaction was on “a massive” and “large scale,” justifying Israel’s subsequent retaliation. However, the former Prime Minister failed to acknowledge Iran’s lawful right to respond. But the PM’s spokesperson refused to offer “justification” for the attack, and argued Lord Cameron didn’t mean Iran had the right to even a proportionate response. Not even one person was killed by Iran’s retaliatory missile attack on Israel. Iran claimed it was targeting military installations.
Most of the missiles were destroyed by the US, UK, Jordan, and Israel. However, on April 14, some of the missiles successfully penetrated Israel’s defences, striking the Dimona nuclear facility and bypassing all interception systems. Additionally, seven missiles targeted the Ramon airbase in southern Israel, causing damage beyond just the runway. Israel responded to the Iranian attack by bombing military installations in Isfahan and Tabriz.
This crisis underscores the Western world’s disturbing pattern of shielding Israel from accountability, regardless of the egregiousness of its actions.
Whether it’s committing war crimes in Gaza, annexing Palestinian territory in the West Bank, or flouting international norms by bombing a consulate, the West’s hypocrisy concerning Israel is glaring. These dual standards are not just outrageously unjust for those affected but also profoundly disillusioning for the masses worldwide, eroding their trust in the integrity of Western governments and the purported world order they seek to uphold.
Photo: The Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and relatives of the victims attends the funeral ceremony held for victims who lost their lives in Israeli unlawful attack on Iran’s consulate building in the embassy compound in Damascus in Tehran, Iran on April 4. (Credit: Iranian Leader Press Office/Handout/AA)
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