With Pakistan supporting, the UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a Bahrain-sponsored resolution condemning Iran’s retaliatory attacks on the territories of several Persian Gulf states amid the rapidly spiralling crisis in the Middle East.Thirteen members of the 15-nation Council voted in favour of the measure, while Russia and China abstained. A second resolution calling for a halt to all military action in the Middle East, which was drafted by Russia, failed to pass.

The resolution mustered four votes in favour Russia, China, Pakistan and Somalia two against (US and Latvia), with nine members abstaining. Nine votes are required for a resolution to pass. Both draft resolutions were aimed at addressing the devastating war in the Middle east, which was triggered by the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on 28 February and Iran’s subsequent retaliation across the region. 

Russia’s UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said he had abstained on the Bahraini resolution because the text was “extremely unbalanced” and that it “does not meet the purpose” of maintaining international peace and security. Explaining his positive vote for both texts, Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said, “This is a conflict that should never have happened,” adding that It was unfortunate that the Council could not unify behind a comprehensive response to end the conflict. 

The conflict and its disastrous fallouts, the Pakistani envoy pointed out, are no more isolated – the regional and global dimensions are obvious. “When international law is violated, peace is imperiled, not advanced,” he said. “We call for immediate and complete cessation of hostilities and return to the dialogue table. Only a peaceful settlement will serve everyone’s interest,” the Pakistani envoy added. 

“The deplorable turn of events unfolding in the region –from the initiation of unwarranted attacks on the Islamic Republic of Iran on February 28th, which Pakistan also condemned – have seriously jeopardised international peace and security, given rise to grave consequences, and unnecessarily embroiled the entire region,” he said. “As a brotherly neighbouring country, Pakistan supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran. We are deeply concerned by the instability in Iran.”

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)