Riyadh demands UNSC to hold Tehran accountable for missile attacks
Iran has rejected Saudi Arabia’s accusations of providing missiles to Yemen’s Houthi Ansarullah movement and alleges that such claims were aimed at diverting attention from Riyadh’s war crimes in Yemen.
According to Tehran based Tasnim news agency, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) political deputy Brigadier General Yadollah Javani told on Tuesday that all routes to send weapons to Yemen are blocked as the “oppressed nation” remains under a full Saudi blockade.
Earlier on Monday Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki had displayed wreckage of what he said were fragments of ballistic missiles supplied to the Houthis by Iran. He said “The missiles launched against Saudi territory were smuggled from Iran” and warned that the alliance reserves “the right to respond against Iran at the right time and right place.”
According to Press TV, the senior IRGC commander further said, “the Saudis with the help of the Americans, Zionists and some other reactionary regional governments have actually been committing major crimes and attacking the oppressed nation of Yemen over the past two or three years.”
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has demanded UN Security Council to hold Iran accountable for Yemen’s Houthi ballistic missiles fired towards the kingdom and called on the world body to bear its responsibilities to maintain international security and stability.
According to Al-Arabia, Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative at UN Abdullah Al-Muallami has submitted a letter to the UN Secretary General Antonia Guterres and the president of UN Security Council in this regard.
The development came at a time when Crown Prince Muhammed Bin Salman is currently visiting US for two and a half weeks. He has already met President Donald Trump when the two sides discussed their ties in defence, security and economic spheres.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the United States, Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, on Tuesday spoke out against the Iranian government through a series of tweets.
Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador alleged Iran for continuous violation of international laws and supporting terrorism in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain and Yemen. He also alleged that Iran provides the terrorist Houthi militias with missiles in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
The Iranian regime continues to violate international laws as it tests the world’s resolve. It is still supporting terrorism in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain and Yemen. It provides the terrorist Houthi militias with missiles in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
— Khalid bin Salman خالد بن سلمان (@kbsalsaud) March 27, 2018
Iran’s record is one of death and destruction. They plotted terrorist bombings in Buenos Aires in 1994, the Khobar attacks in 1996, and the Riyadh bombings in 2003.
— Khalid bin Salman خالد بن سلمان (@kbsalsaud) March 27, 2018
In the past, they have tried to assassinate my predecessor here in Washington, they have killed Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Al Hariri, They assassinated political opponents in European capitals, and bankroll terrorist militias and provide them with dangerous weapons.
— Khalid bin Salman خالد بن سلمان (@kbsalsaud) March 27, 2018
Yesterday, the Iran backed Houthi Militias have fired seven ballistic missiles at four cities in the Kingdom. Totaling over a hundred attempts, and continue to kill thousands of innocent Yemenis while they refuse any political settlement and continue to escalate.
— Khalid bin Salman خالد بن سلمان (@kbsalsaud) March 27, 2018
The only way to prevent further conflict in the region is to hold Iran accountable for its violations of all international laws. Friends and enemies are watching for the world’s reaction; it will shape the behavior of countries in region on the long term.
— Khalid bin Salman خالد بن سلمان (@kbsalsaud) March 27, 2018
Saudi Arabia has claimed of intercepting all seven missiles fired by Houthis on Monday, on the third anniversary of the Saudi led campaign against the improvised country. However, Houthis claim that some of the missiles hit the intended targets in the Kingdom.
Earlier on Monday, Bahram Qassemi, spokesman of the Foreign Ministry, alleged that Britain was responsible for the war crimes in Yemen through sale of weapons and providing logistics and intelligence assistance to the aggressors and helping in blockading the country.
In a significant development, India and China have completed the disengagement exercise in the Depsang and Demchok friction points at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. The troops of both the countries are now verifying the vacation of positions and removal of infrastructure.
Reportedly, the Indian Army said that coordinated patrolling will start soon by both sides, and the ground commanders will continue to hold talks. The two sides will exchange sweets for Diwali tomorrow.
Earlier, Foreign secretary Vikram Misri announced that New Delhi and Beijing reached an agreement to disengage in the remaining friction points at LAC in eastern Ladakh. After the agreement, the two countries began troops disengagement at the two friction points at Demchok and Depsang plains on October 23.
India-China relations worsened because of the Chinese troops’ aggression along the Line of Actual Control, the de facto border, in April 2020. It further deteriorated on June 15, 2020, after 20 Indian soldiers died in the line of duty thwarting the Chinese offensive in the Galwan Valley. New Delhi had said India’s bilateral relations with China will normalise only after the situation at the LAC returns to what it was before May 2020.
Reports said that the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have pulled back their forward-deployed troops and equipment from the two flashpoints, and have also dismantled temporary structures that had been built during the four-year-long standoff.
The Indian soldiers will resume their patrolling in areas that had been cut off because of the PLA’s presence. Nonetheless, the disengagement in Depsang and Demchok will not lead to the creation of buffer zones.
Both the countries had disengaged from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A) and Hot Springs (PP-15) areas and created buffer zones. Speaking to a newspaper publication, Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia (retd), a former director general of military operations said that the disengagement at Depsang and Demchok will facilitate patrolling by both sides in a coordinated manner, and in the agreed upon frequency and strength of the patrolling parties.
The Iranian Army said on Saturday that two of its soldiers were killed in Israeli air strikes that targeted military bases.
Iran stated that its air defenses effectively countered the attack, resulting in the unfortunate deaths of two soldiers and some areas suffering limited damage.
The Israeli military conducted strikes on Iranian military sites after 2 am on Saturday, responding to what they cited as ongoing attacks by Iran and its allies in the region.
Following the strikes, the Israeli military announced they had successfully completed the mission and achieved their objectives.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the precise targeting of military sites in Iran to neutralize immediate threats to Israel.
“I can now confirm that we have concluded the Israeli response to Iran’s attacks against Israel. We conducted targeted and precise strikes on military targets in Iran — thwarting immediate threats to the State of Israel,” the Israel Defence Force posted on X.
Iran’s air defense headquarters acknowledged the hits on bases in Ilam, Khuzestan, and Tehran but asserted that these attacks were effectively repelled, with investigations ongoing to assess damages. Moreover, Iran indicated its readiness to retaliate against any Israeli aggression, stating that Israel would face proportional consequences for its actions.
Iran expressed its intentions to respond to the Israeli attacks on its military bases, condemning the actions as a violation of international law and the UN Charter’s principles on the use of force.
Emphasising Iran’s right to self-defense under the UN Charter, the Iranian Foreign Ministry highlighted its obligation to counter foreign aggression.
Pakistan strongly condemned Israel’s strikes on Iran, attributing the escalation to Israel and urging the UN Security Council to intervene for peace and security.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasised that Iran should refrain from retaliating against Israel, advocating for restraint on all sides to prevent further escalation.
“I am clear that Israel has the right to defend itself against Iranian aggression. I’m equally clear that we must avoid further regional escalation and urge all sides to restrain. Iran should not respond,” the PM said at a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
The United States advised Iran to halt its attacks on Israel to cease the ongoing violence and break the cycle of conflict, underlining the importance of de-escalation.
“We urge Iran to cease its attacks on Israel so that this cycle of fighting can end without further escalation,” U.S. National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett told reporters.
President Joe Biden was briefed on the Israeli operation throughout its development and execution by his National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan.
BRICS Summit: PM Modi, China’s Xi Jinping discuss Ukraine war with Russia’s Putin
“The world has entered a new period of turbulent change. We need to build a peaceful BRICS, and be the guardian of common security,” said Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Summit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, China’s Xi Jinping, and other BRICS leaders on Wednesday discussed the war in Ukraine with President Vladimir Putin as the Kremlin chief chaired a major summit aimed at showing Western attempts to isolate Russia have failed.
India supports dialogue and diplomacy and not war, PM Modi said at the BRICS Summit, in an unambiguous message calling for resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict through peaceful negotiations.
Putin, whose administration has dismissed allegations of war crimes against him as politically motivated, kicked off the Summit on Wednesday by noting the strong interest from over 30 States in joining the BRICS group.
He emphasised the importance of maintaining a balance in any expansion, acknowledging the unprecedented interest from countries in the Global South and East while ensuring that it does not diminish the effectiveness of BRICS.
“The world has entered a new period of turbulent change. We need to build a peaceful BRICS, and be the guardian of common security,” said Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Summit.
On the Ukraine crisis, Jinping said, “We need to push for the situation to de-escalate as soon as possible.” He also expressed his concern over the crisis in Gaza, saying, “We need to push for a ceasefire.”
PM Modi emphasised the need for a people-centric approach to solving global challenges and called for reformed multilateralism. The PM underlined the importance of dialogue and diplomacy for global peace and stability.
Addressing the summit in Kazan, a Russian city along the Volga, Europe’s longest river, Putin also reiterated the group’s focus on discussing acute regional conflicts, alluding to the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Russia, heavily reliant on oil exports, sees China and India as major buyers, with the two countries responsible for about 90% of Moscow’s oil sales, making it Russia’s largest foreign currency source.
In a public exchange, Prime Minister Modi expressed his desire for peace in Ukraine to Putin, while Chinese President Xi discussed the Ukrainian conflict privately with the Russian leader.
As Russia continues its advancement, it currently controls a significant portion of Ukraine, including Crimea, unilaterally annexed in 2014, as well as a substantial portion of the Donbas region, comprising Donetsk and Luhansk, along with parts of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
Putin has reiterated that Moscow will not negotiate the status of these regions, claiming them as part of Russia and emphasising the need to consider Russia’s long-term security interests in Europe.
The anticipated BRICS communique is expected to include proposals from China and Brazil aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine, with the two countries seeking support for a ceasefire from other developing nations. Ukraine has accused Beijing and Brasília of aligning with Moscow’s interests.
Putin has acknowledged the potential of the Chinese-Brazilian proposals as a basis for ending the conflict, following Russia’s deployment of troops into Ukraine in 2022 after years of fighting in the eastern part of the country.
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