Venezuela Blames Israel’s Genocide Campaign, UN Inaction for Middle East Escalation

Mexico City, Mexico, April 15, 2024 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuela joined the chorus of countries expressing concern over the rising instability in the Middle East following Iran’s retaliatory strikes at Israel over a deadly Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria.

“As a result of the genocide in Palestine and the irrationality of the Israeli regime, as well as the inaction of the United Nations System, the situation of instability in the region has dramatically worsened in recent weeks,” read an official statement shared Saturday by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil. 

During an emergency session of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, Secretary-General António Guterres called for “maximum restraint” in order to avoid an even more serious military escalation in the region.

Amir Saed Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, told the council that his country does not seek escalation or war. 

“Iran’s operation was entirely in the exercise of its inherent right to self-defense. This concluded action was necessary and proportionate. It was precise and only targeted military objectives and carried out carefully to minimize the potential for escalation and prevent civilian harm,” said Iravani.

Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Israeli territory on Saturday, two weeks after Israel bombed the Iranian consulate in Damascus and killed 13 people. Most drones and missiles were intercepted by Israeli, US, British and French forces, and some hit targets including an airbase.

The Iranian ambassador also criticized the lack of actions by the Security Council to hold Israel accountable for the “war crimes” it has committed during its campaign in Gaza. 

For six months resolutions condemning Israel and calling for a ceasefire were consistently blocked by a US veto. The UN Security Council finally passed a ceasefire resolution on March 25. However, US authorities subsequently engaged in a delegitimization campaign, suggesting that the resolution was “non-binding” despite unanimous calls for the resolution to be implemented.

Venezuela’s latest statement further called for international law to be “restored” as a precursor to peace. Since October, the Caribbean nation has repeatedly condemned Israeli atrocities in the Gaza Strip and supported efforts to hold Tel Aviv accountable.

Leaders throughout Latin America reacted similarly, with Mexico and Chile calling for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and likewise affirming their support for international law. The two countries jointly referred the ongoing situation in the State of Palestine to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in January. 

The referral to the ICC is a separate process from the case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) launched by South Africa accusing Israel of carrying out genocide in Gaza. After a preliminary hearing, the ICJ found it “plausible” that Israel has committed acts that violate the Genocide Convention and ordered binding provisional measures to protect Palestinians from acts of genocide.

Reactions in Latin America to Iran’s retaliation to Israel’s attack on its embassy stood in contrast to the response by the US, Canada, and the European Union, which condemned Iran’s strikes. 

Likewise, Argentina’s Javier Milei expressed that he “emphatically supports” Israel. Milei recently met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem as a show of support amid Israel’s genocidal campaign. Venezuela labeled Milei a “neo-nazi” after the Argentine president expressed his interest in convincing other governments to impose coercive measures on Venezuela.

Caracas and Tehan have enjoyed increasingly close political, economic, and diplomatic relations in recent years, which have been further strengthened as a result of increased interference and economic sanctions by Washington against both countries.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro traveled to Iran in 2022 where he met directly with his counterpart Ebrahim Raisi. The two signed a 20-year cooperation agreement. In July 2023 the roles were switched, with Raisi visiting Caracas to deepen bilateral relations as part of a tour of Latin America.

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.