TEHRAN (Iran News)  Addressing a UN Security Council meeting on “the situation in the Middle East: (Syria)”, held in New York on August 28, Saeed Iravani said the humanitarian situation in Syria remains dire and the Syrian people continue to suffer severe economic hardships.

“The politicization of humanitarian aid and the obstruction of international support for Syria’s reconstruction largely driven by the US and its Western allies have prolonged the conflict and intensified the suffering of the Syrian people,” he said.

“Additionally, the US continues to use inhumane unilateral sanctions as a tool for the collective punishment of the Syrian population. These illegal actions impose unnecessary hardships and hinder Syria’s recovery,” the envoy added.

Reiterating Iran’s call for the immediate removal of these harmful measures, Iravani said, “Providing impartial and non-politicized humanitarian aid to all regions of Syria is crucial to save lives. Early recovery projects should be prioritized to offer comprehensive support and help communities rebuild and strengthen their resilience. Facilitating Syria’s reconstruction and ensuring the safe return of refugees and IDPs to their original places of residence must be integral to any comprehensive solution to the current conflict in Syria.”

“The interests of millions of Syrian refugees should not be manipulated for political purposes by certain countries. Delaying their return only prolongs their suffering and places an undue burden on neighboring countries,” he added.

“We strongly condemn Israel’s ongoing aggression against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure as well as its continued occupation of the Syrian Golan. Israel’s malicious activities in the region pose a serious threat to international peace and security,” the ambassador stated.

“With ironclad support from the United States and the political support of the UK, the occupying regime of Israel continues its daily atrocities and systematic war crimes against the people of Palestine in Gaza and the West Bank and violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon with full impunity,” he noted.

“The Security Council must condemn unequivocally the rough regime of Israel for its malevolent activities in the region and take decisive action to force this terrorist regime to end its occupation of the Syrian Golan, cease all acts of aggression and acts of terrorism against Syria and Lebanon, and stop the ongoing genocidal war against the Palestinian people,” Iravani stated.

“We share the view expressed by the representative of the Syrian Arab Republic that any political solution must include ending the illegal presence of US forces, halting their exploitation of Syrian resources, and stopping their support for terrorist groups and militias,” he said.

“Iran is committed to a political resolution of the Syrian crisis. We support the efforts of the Special Envoy and commend his active engagement with all parties involved in resolving the conflict. Iran strongly advocates for the prompt resumption of the Constitutional Committee meetings and supports efforts to hold the ninth round of constitutional discussions in Baghdad, Iraq, as this option has gained support from most parties,” the envoy added.

Highlighting the responsibility of the United States for the current situation in Syria and the region, the ambassador said, “The illegal presence of US forces is the primary source of instability and insecurity in Syria, providing cover for terrorist groups to strengthen their positions and commit further atrocities.”

“It violates Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, international law, the UN Charter, and Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2254 (2015). The claim of fighting terrorism cannot, in any way, justify these egregious violations. Yet, instead of taking concrete action to stop these severe violations, the United States continues its violations and at the same time, stands by Israel and actively provides it with substantial military, intelligence, financial support, and diplomatic cover to continue its atrocious crimes against other nations of the region,” he concluded.