China’s ambassador to the UN has blasted the United States for sparking a “new turmoil” in West Asia with its recent illegal strikes in the already volatile region.
Jun Zhang made the remarks at a UN Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and security on Monday, two days after the US military conducted aerial assaults on Iraq and Syria.
Nearly 40 people were killed in the air raids that came in response to a drone attack on a US occupation base on Jordan’s border with Syria.
The Chinese envoy said the US airstrikes “constitute a grave violation of the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Syria and Iraq.”
“The US purports that it does not seek to create conflicts in the Middle East or anywhere else, but in reality, it does precisely the opposite,” he added.
“The US military actions are undoubtedly stoking new turmoil in this region and further intensifying tensions.”
At today’s #SecurityCouncil open briefing, Ambassador Zhang Jun emphasized that confronted with complex situation, we must be clear on the following questions: Who is creating threat whether in the Middle East or elsewhere? Who is engaged in the excessive use of force? Who is… pic.twitter.com/rSoy9yrYWs
— Chinese Mission to UN (@Chinamission2un) February 6, 2024
Zhang also warned that the regional conditions are “on the verge of extreme peril” and that the US actions will “exacerbate the vicious cycle of tit-for-tat violence.”
He further emphasized that the fundamental reason for the current situation is the failure to implement a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip amid a genocidal Israeli aggression.
“History has shown that using military means would not provide any solutions to the problems roiling the Middle East,” he asserted.
The Chinese envoy called on all countries concerned to stop acting out of self-interest, saying, “We are standing at a critical crossroads.”
Israel waged its brutal war on besieged Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out an unprecedented operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.
So far, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 27,585 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 67,000 others.
‘US strikes expose aggressive nature of US policy’
Similarly, Russia’s Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the US attacks on Iraq and Syria once again demonstrated the aggressive nature of US policy in West Asia and Washington’s complete disregard for international law.
The US acts of aggression against sovereign nations have increased the level of instability in an already “burning” region, he noted.
Nebenzia further said that the actions of the United States in the region are just the latest in a litany of unlawful and irresponsible attacks, against the backdrop of an unprecedented escalation of violence.
He further urged the international community to unconditionally condemn the reckless actions of Washington and its allies in West Asia.
Both Iraq and Syria condemned the US strikes as infringements on their sovereignty that risk escalating regional tensions.
