China joins chorus of condemnation over Israeli attack on Iranian consulate in Syria
- Beijing says ‘the security of diplomatic institutions cannot be violated’ after the attack on a consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus
- The bombing killed two senior commanders in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard
“China condemns the attack,” said foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin. “The security of diplomatic institutions cannot be violated, and Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity should be respected.”
“The current situation in the Middle East is turbulent, and we oppose any actions that lead to an escalation of tension.”
On Monday Iran said Israel had struck a consulate building in its embassy compound in the Syrian capital of Damascus, killing at least seven military advisers.
Israel did not comment on the attack but Syria’s defence ministry said the attacks had come from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights.
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According to Iran’s ambassador to Syria Hossein Akbari, Israeli F-35 fighter jets launched six missiles in what he called a “criminal” and targeted act.
Israel has long carried out strikes on targets it believes are linked to Iran’s military and its allied armed groups. While it has reportedly ramped up on such attacks since the start of the Gaza war, Monday’s strikes signalled a significant escalation.
Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad called the attack “heinous” and in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Monday, said they were a “flagrant violation” of international law.
Iraq, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have all condemned the attack, as has Russia which described Israel’s actions as “absolutely unacceptable and must be stopped”.
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Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the US State Department, said Washington remained “concerned about anything that would be escalatory or cause an increase in conflict in the region”.
But Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Tuesday said Tehran had summoned a Swiss diplomat representing US interests in Iran to discuss the incident and highlight what it described as Washington’s responsibility.
Amir-Abdollahian had earlier said the attack was a violation of international conventions and called for a “serious response” from the international community.
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Iran vowed to retaliate against the attack, with the foreign ministry spokesman saying it “preserves the right to take reciprocal measures and will decide the type of response and punishment against the aggressor”.
According to Iranian state media, President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday said: “Having failed to destroy the will of the resistance front, the Zionist regime has put blind assassinations back on its agenda to save itself.
“It must know that it will never achieve its goals and that this cowardly crime will not go unanswered.”
