In an urgent meeting convened by the United Nations Security Council, Robert Wood, the Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the UN, reiterated his country’s position on the recent military strikes conducted in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Republic Guards Corps and affiliated militia groups. Wood defended these actions as “necessary and proportional” and reaffirmed the United States’ right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Wood began by acknowledging the devastating loss of three US service members on January 28, with dozens more injured, in a stark reminder of the human toll of the recent events. He stressed that such attacks were “unacceptable” and could not be allowed to continue. Wood underlined that the actions taken by US forces on February 2 were both necessary and proportionate, conducted in accordance with international law and their inherent right to self-defense.
The Ambassador emphasized that the United States had previously informed the Security Council of its intention to respond to future attacks or threats against US nationals, personnel, or facilities. Wood stated that the targets chosen by the US were meticulously selected to minimize civilian casualties and were based on undeniable evidence linking them to the attacks on US personnel.
The US Ambassador also clarified that these strikes were a direct response to the deadly attack on Tower 22 in northeastern Jordan, emphasizing their distinct nature from the coalition strikes in Yemen, which were in response to Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.
He made it unequivocally clear that the United States did not seek further conflict in the region, particularly when efforts were underway to contain and de-escalate the situation in Gaza. He stressed that the US did not desire direct conflict with Iran and remained committed to defending its forces against unacceptable attacks.
