United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday condemned an attack on Iran's diplomatic premises in Damascus, calling on "all concerned to exercise utmost restraint and avoid further escalation," his spokesperson said.
A man stands near the rubble, after a suspected Israeli strike on Monday on Iran's consulate, adjacent to the main Iranian embassy building, which Iran said had killed seven military personnel including two key figures in the Quds Force, in the Syrian capital Damascus, April 2, 2024. Reuters/Firas Makdesi
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday condemned an attack on Iran's diplomatic premises in Damascus, calling on "all concerned to exercise utmost restraint and avoid further escalation," his spokesperson said.
"He cautions that any miscalculation could lead to broader conflict in an already volatile region, with devastating consequences for civilians who are already seeing unprecedented suffering in Syria, Lebanon, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and the broader Middle East," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
In a recent development, it has been revealed that the building in Damascus, initially presented as a consulate, was in fact used as a command center by the Al-Quds Force (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) for its military operations in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza.
This discovery calls into question the supposed diplomatic nature of the facility and suggests that it was operating more as a military operational center.
Antonio Guterres does not seem to be aware of this information.
The revelation that the presumed consulate was acting as a military base raises important questions about the distinction between diplomatic facilities and military infrastructure in complex conflict zones.
The international community is now faced with the task of reevaluating its approaches and responses to such revelations, while considering the implications for regional security and stability.
By Marwan Homas in Beirut
No ships have made it past a U.S. naval blockade of Iran's ports and coastal areas, and six merchant ships have followed orders to turn back, the U.S. military said on Tuesday, providing the first details on a day-old effort ordered by President Donald Trump after peace talks between the U.S. and Iran broke down.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted the first direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in decades on Tuesday and both sides said they held positive discussions although it was not immediately clear if they agreed to a framework for peace.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has signaled his country's desire for full normalization with Lebanon, just ahead of a key round of peace talks scheduled in Washington.
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