NEW YORK: The United Nations (UN) Security Council is urgently meeting today at Russia’s demand to address the recent US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria. The strikes, carried out in retaliation for a drone attack that resulted in the deaths of three US soldiers on January 28, have heightened tensions in the region.
The meeting, scheduled for 4:00 pm (2100 GMT), comes as Moscow labeled the US strikes as acts of aggression against sovereign states. Russia said that these actions were exacerbating the already volatile situation in the Middle East, particularly as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The US military executed the strikes on multiple targets in Syria and Iraq overnight from Friday to Saturday. The White House has confirmed its intention to launch more strikes.
The US airstrikes have faced criticism from Iraq, Syria, and Iran. Iran explicitly stated in a letter to the Security Council, “There is no group affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s armed forces, whether in Iraq, Syria or elsewhere, that operates directly or indirectly under the control of the Islamic Republic of Iran or acts on its behalf,” said Iran’s ambassador to UN Amir Saeid Iravani.
