Washington DC, United States: US State Secretary Antony Blinken, on Tuesday, warned Iran and its allies that if they attack the US personnel anywhere, then the nation will act swiftly and decisively.
However, he further highlighted that Washington does not seek any conflict with Iran. The remark was shared by the US State Secretary while having interaction with the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council.
The interaction session was scheduled amid the times when there are high chances that conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hamas, militant terrorists could create a wider war.
According to the reports by Reuters, Blinken was quoted saying, “The United States does not seek conflict with Iran. We do not want this war to widen. But if Iran or its proxies attack US personnel anywhere, make no mistake: we will defend our people, we will defend our security – swiftly and decisively.”
New steps by the US to protect US troops
The officials of the United States have been taking new steps to protect and safeguard the US troops in the Mideast region, according to Reuters. The nation has been sending warships and fighter aircraft, including two aircraft carriers, to the region to strengthen the troops against Iran and Iran-backed groups.
During the UN meeting, Blinken mentioned, “We call on all member states to send a firm, united message to any state or non-state actor that is considering opening another front in this conflict against Israel or who may target Israel’s partners, including the United States: don’t. Don’t throw fuel on the fire.”
Jordan’s remark on ongoing regional conflict
The Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Jordan – Ayman Safadi, firmly stood with his Arab counterparts and told the gathering at the UN that the spreading conflict is a “real danger.”
Safadi can be quoted saying, “We’re all doing everything we can to stop it. There’s the threat of this expanding into the West Bank, into Lebanon, into other fronts. None of us want that; we’re all working against that,” according to Reuters.
UN’s appeal to safeguard civilians in the Gaza Strip
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has asked for the protection of civilians during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine-aided terrorist groups. Furthermore, he emphasized the violations of international humanitarian law in the region.
He further highlighted that during such crucial moments, it is important that the war rules are not ignored. He stated that the countries must not forget basic rules like the fundamental principle of respecting and protecting civilians.
“It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation,” Guterres said, according to Reuters.
“But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” he continued.
All these concerns are raised after the world is experiencing the worsening of the situation with every passing hour. The continuous air raids by the Israeli authorities have killed hundreds of civilians. Recently, the Health Ministry of Gaza has outlined that over 700 Palestinian people were killed during an overnight air strike by Israel. Accordingly, it is one of the highest death tolls registered since the attack started on October 7.
Israel’s UN Ambassador’s remark on Guterres’ speech
Gilad Erdan – the UN Ambassador for Israel, marked the speech by the UN Secretary-General as “shocking.” Erdan took to his official handle on X, formerly known as Twitter, and asked Guterres to resign from the position.
In addition to this, the Foreign Minister of Israel – Eli Cohen, who is currently attending the UN Security Council, outlined that he will not meet with Guterres as earlier planned.
Cohen, according to Reuters, stated, “I will not meet with the UN secretary-general. After Oct. 7, there is no room for a balanced approach. Hamas must be erased from the world!”