NEW YORK CITY: Israel must bear the full responsibility for the consequences of its attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, and Iran reserves its right to deliver a 鈥渄ecisive response to such reprehensible acts,鈥� Tehran鈥檚 deputy permanent representative to the UN told members of the Security Council during a meeting on Tuesday.

鈥淚ran has exercised considerable restraint but there are limits to our forbearance,鈥� said Zahra Ershadi.

On Monday, an Israeli airstrike destroyed Iran鈥檚 Consulate in the Syrian capital, Damascus, killing 12 people, including two Iranian generals and a member of the Lebanese militant group, Hezbollah. At least six Syrian citizens were also killed by the strike.

Ershadi called on the Security Council to condemn the attack, which she said 鈥済oes beyond mere criminality and represents a profound affront to the shared principle of the inviolability of representatives and diplomatic and consular premises.鈥�

The envoy accused Israel of escalating and perpetuating the conflict in Gaza while evading accountability while it 鈥渒ills civilians and uses starvation as a method of warfare.鈥�

She continued: 鈥淚srael鈥檚 primary concern is to use force to advance its apartheid policies, ethnic-cleansing, genocidal acts, and military objectives in Gaza at all costs.

鈥淭he absence of accountability and the Security Council's inaction has only encouraged this regime to continue its violations unchecked.鈥�

Ershadi also accused the US of bearing responsibility 鈥渇or all crimes committed by the Israeli regime.鈥�

US ambassador Robert Wood reiterated that Washington has communicated to Iran that it 鈥渉ad no involvement鈥� in the strike on the consulate, nor did it have any knowledge of it ahead of time.

鈥淲e cannot confirm any information about this event,鈥� he said, adding that 鈥渁s we gather details, one thing is clear: Iran and its proxy and partner groups need to avoid escalating tensions in the region.鈥�

Wood said that since the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, the US has repeatedly warned Iran not to take advantage of the situation by escalating its 鈥渓ongstanding proxy war against Israel and other actors,鈥� but Iran has ignored that warning.

鈥淭errorists and other armed groups, some backed by the Syrian regime and Iran, have used Syrian territory to plot and launch attacks on Israel and US facilities and personnel,鈥� he added.

He warned that US authorities 鈥渨ill not hesitate to defend our personnel, and repeat our prior warnings to Iran and its proxies not to take advantage of this situation to resume their attacks on US personnel.鈥�

Wood also expressed his sadness and grave concern about the recent Israeli air strike that hit a World Central Kitchen aid convoy.

鈥淭his incident is yet a further reminder that Israel needs to do much more to protect humanitarian personnel and facilities in Gaza,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is unacceptable and inexplicable that nearly six months into this conflict, Israeli military deconfliction mechanisms are not functioning appropriately.鈥�

Russia鈥檚 permanent representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia, who had called for the emergency meeting of the Security Council, said he condemned the Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus in the strongest terms, and stressed that it followed a trend of escalating Israeli attacks on Syrian soil and other neighboring countries.

鈥淲e鈥檙e of the view that such aggressive actions by Israel are designed to further fuel the conflict,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey are absolutely unacceptable and must stop.

鈥淲e urge West Jerusalem to abandon the practice of provocative acts of force in the territory of Syria and other neighboring countries, which is fraught with extremely dangerous risks and consequences for the entire region, a region that is already destabilized as the results of the six-month escalation of violence around Gaza.鈥�

Nebenzia warned council members that should they fail to condemn attacks on diplomatic premises then 鈥渘ext time, the diplomatic mission of any state could be targeted by an air raid.鈥�

Slovenia鈥檚 permanent representative to the UN denounced 鈥渁ttacks on diplomatic premises, that are unacceptable and unjustifiable.鈥�

Samuel Zbogar expressed his country鈥檚 profound concern about the spillover effects of the war in Gaza across the region, which has already 鈥渉ad a strong impact on the situation along the Blue Line and in the Red Sea,鈥� and he called on all parties to show restraint.

鈥淚t should be in no one鈥檚 interest to have further dangerous escalation in the Middle East,鈥� he added. 鈥淎ny of the geographically separated but ultimately intertwined crises could take on a life of their own.

鈥淧eople of the region have suffered enough and this includes people in Palestine, Israel, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Iran and elsewhere. We should all place their interests first, and this is why it is crucial for this council to send a clear call for restraint by all, starting with compliance with Resolution 2728, demanding a ceasefire.鈥�

China鈥檚 deputy ambassador, Geng Shuang, strongly condemned the attack 鈥渙f an extremely vicious nature鈥� on Iran鈥檚 consulate and reaffirmed the inviolability of diplomatic institutions.

Since the conflict in Gaza began in October, Geng said, there have been attacks on homes, schools, hospitals, humanitarian facilities, UN agencies, 鈥渁nd today attacks on diplomatic premises. The red line of international law and the basic norms of international relations have been breached time and again, and the moral bottom line of human conscience has been crushed time and time again. Such a situation, such a tragedy must stop immediately.鈥�