Iran's Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani attends a press conference at the Iranian embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, on July 31, 2024. (File photo)

Tehran, September 22 (RHC)-- Iran has condemned Israel's attacks in Lebanon where the explosion of thousands of booby-trapped devices killed dozens of people and left nearly 3,000 others injured, including the Islamic Republic's ambassador to Beirut.  

"The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns in the strongest terms these horrible and barbaric attacks," Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the Security Council meeting in New York.  

"We will rigorously pursue accountability for the attack on our ambassador in Lebanon. We reserve our right under international law to take all necessary measures to respond to this egregious violation," he said.

Iravani said the attack on Iran's Ambassador Mojtaba Amani is a blatant violation of international law and diplomatic norms.  “The Israeli terrorist attack has flagrantly violated the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1973 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons, including Diplomatic Agents.”

Iravani said reports suggest that Israel intended to kill at least 5,000 civilians, targeting thousands of people across various age groups in densely populated areas of Beirut whether in their homes, streets, workplaces, or shopping centers.

"These widespread and systematic crimes, aimed at mass killings, severe suffering, and serious injury to civilians, constitute crimes against humanity," he said. 

"The Israeli barbaric attack has left Lebanon hospitals and medical staff in an unprecedented state of emergency and attacks have sparked widespread fear and panic across Lebanon."

Iravani said the repercussions of this attack extend far beyond Lebanon’s borders.  "The targeting of communication devices in the heart of Beirut sends a clear message to the international community: Israel is willing to commit any crime, no matter how extreme, to violate and attack the sovereignty and security of countries in the region and threaten regional and international peace and security.” 

The Iranian diplomat also regretted the UN Security Council’s failure to perform its duty to maintain international peace and security, stating that Israel’s malevolent activities are often overlooked or outright supported by certain Western nations.

He said the unwavering political, military, and economic support provided to Israel by the United States, and United Kingdom emboldens the Israeli regime to continue its violations without fear of accountability.

“This unconditional support, coupled with the deliberate blocking of any international effort to hold Israel responsible, has created an environment of impunity.  The international community must not ignore the role that the Western countries, in particular the United States play in enabling Israel’s aggression.”

Iravani said the gravity of Israel's atrocious against the people of Lebanon must be recognized, not just as an attack on Lebanon, but as a threat to peace and security across the region.

Explosions targeted pagers and other communication devices across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday, killing more than 30 people, including children, and wounding some 3,500 others.

The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah, whose members were among the casualties, blamed the unprecedented attacks on Israel.   Hezbollah also pledged to retaliate against Israel following the terrorist attacks.