Pakistan condemns Israel's ‘blatant aggression' against Iran, calls for dialogue to resolve crisis

Arab News

13 hours ago

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad this week criticized Israel for its 'blatant aggression' against Iran at a UN Security Council meeting, calling on the international community to use dialogue and diplomatic engagement to resolve tensions in the Middle East.
Ahmad's statement came on Friday as tensions in the Middle East soared after Iran fired dozens of missiles at Israel late Friday night, lighting up the skies above Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The strikes were in response to a large-scale Israeli attack on Tehran's nuclear facilities and military leadership early Friday. Iran said 78 people were killed and over 320 injured in the Israeli strikes.
At a UN Security Council briefing meeting on the Iran-Israel tensions on Friday, Ahmed said Tel Aviv's 'blatant provocations' posed a serious threat to the region and beyond, reiterating Iran's right to self-defense. He said Israel's recent military operations in Gaza and repeated cross-border strikes in Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen demonstrate a consistent disregard for international norms.
'Such blatant aggression and contempt for international law has already had devastating consequences,' Ahmad said, pointing out that tens of thousands of people have been killed in Gaza due to Israel's military operations since October 2023.
Israeli leaders say the Friday attack was necessary to head off an imminent threat that Iran would build nuclear bombs, though it remains unclear how close the country is to achieving that.
Iran maintains its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only.
Ahmad said Israel's actions risk eroding the trust of the negotiation process related to Iran's nuclear program, which he said was crucial for the peaceful settlement of these issues.
'We call on all parties to fulfill their respective obligations and responsibilities and avoid escalation,' the Pakistani envoy said. 'Even in these testing times, diplomatic engagement and dialogue must be prioritized.'
Ahmad reiterated that the UN Security Council bears the responsibility to maintain international peace and security, calling it to 'hold the aggressor accountable for its actions.'
'This Council must deny Israel the free hand, and the impunity with which it continues to operate in defiance of international law and international opinion,' he said.
Israel has long been determined to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, a concern laid bare on Thursday when the Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency for the first time in 20 years censured Iran over its refusal to work with its inspectors. Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site and install more advanced centrifuges.
Even so, there are multiple assessments on how many nuclear weapons Iran could conceivably build, should it choose to do so. Iran would need months to assemble, test and field any weapon, which it so far has said it has no desire to do. US intelligence agencies also assess Iran does not have a weapons program at this time.