TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has vocally condemned the recent lethal assaults by the Israeli regime on Beirut, while also criticizing the United States for its complicity in these actions.

His remarks came during a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York on Friday.

“This morning, the Israeli regime launched several 5,000-pound bunker-busting bombs—provided by the United States—targeting residential areas in Beirut,” Araqchi stated, highlighting the severity of the situation. He emphasized that one cannot overlook the U.S. role in these atrocities.

Earlier that day, Israeli airstrikes hit at least six residential buildings in the Dahiyeh neighborhood, specifically Haret Hreik, resulting in at least eight fatalities and injuring around 80 others. The Israeli bombardment continued into Saturday, with multiple airstrikes on the al-Hadath and Laylaki neighborhoods, totaling at least 15 strikes.

These attacks are part of a broader escalation that has been ongoing since October 7, when Israel initiated a genocidal campaign against the Gaza Strip. Since Monday, this escalation has resulted in the deaths of over 700 people across Lebanon.

Araqchi criticized the United Nations Security Council and the international community for their failure to intervene, suggesting that this inaction has empowered Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his administration to pursue further violence. He warned that they seem intent on repeating the “massacres” of Gaza in Lebanon, potentially dragging the entire region into a full-scale war.

“The criminal actions of the Israeli regime are being rewarded due to the global inaction, and their crimes are being normalized before our eyes,” Araqchi remarked. He pointed out that Israel’s aggressive actions are heavily reliant on U.S. military aid and political support, thus implicating the U.S. in these atrocities.

He criticized the U.S. for supplying the majority of the munitions used against Gaza, asserting that its influence in the Security Council often prevents accountability for Israel’s actions. Araqchi called on Washington to reconsider its support for Israel if it genuinely cares about the loss of life in Gaza.

“The Security Council must act decisively to halt Israel’s brutal plan to exterminate a nation that has suffered under occupation for eight long decades,” he urged.

Furthermore, Araqchi cautioned the American public that Netanyahu is attempting to draw the U.S. into a broader conflict in the region, potentially to bolster his political position and influence the upcoming elections in the U.S.

He concluded by warning that the ongoing violence from the Israeli regime would only solidify the perception of Israel as a “nasty element” in a colonial project designed to perpetuate cycles of war and violence in the region.