TEHRAN- In response to the assassination of two Iranian advisors at the hands of the Israeli regime in Syria, Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht-Ravanchi has said the Islamic Republic reserves right to self-defense against the Israeli criminal act.

The two advisors, identified as Colonel Ehsan Karbalayi-Poor and Colonel Morteza Saeed-Nezhad, lost their lives in a missile attack by the Israeli regime on the outskirts of Syria's capital Damascus on March 7.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its inherent right to self-defense, under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, to respond to such criminal act whenever it deems appropriate,” Takht-Ravanchi wrote in letters to the UN Security Council president and UN secretary-general on Thursday.

“In the early morning of Monday, March 7, 2022, the Israeli regime in flagrant violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic launched missile attacks against an area north of Damascus, resulting in the martyrdom of two Iranian forces who were advising the Syrian military forces in its counter-terrorism efforts in Syria,” Takht-Ravanchi explained. 

“It should be noted that the Iranian advisory forces are present in Syria at the Syrian government's official request and invitation to provide advisory services to assist the Syrian military forces to combat terrorism, specifically the terrorist group ISIS,” the ambassador said.

Iran has played an advisory role in Syria at the request of the country with the aim of helping it get rid of the foreign-backed militants who have been battling the Syrian government since 2011.

It is worth saying that such an advisory role by Iran helped undermine the activities of the Daesh terrorist group in Syria. 

“Iran considers the recent Israeli terrorist attack as a highly provocative and deliberate act intended at increasing tensions to an uncontrolled level and disrupting coordination among those fighting terrorism in the region, particularly ISIS,” the ambassador warned.

“This provocative and criminal act is in violation of international law and the United Nations Charter and entails criminal responsibility for the Israeli regime and all who aided, abetted, or otherwise assisted and supported the preparation or execution of this terrorist act in any way, directly or indirectly,” Iran’s top diplomat to the UN said.

“The international community in general and the Security Council, in particular, must firmly condemn such provocative and criminal acts and hold the Israeli regime accountable for its unlawful actions, which pose a serious threat to international peace and security,” Iran's ambassador to UN added.

Iran has long been at the forefront of the fight against terrorism and extremism and is determined, in accordance with its rights and obligations under international law, to continue the fight against terrorist organizations in the region “until they are totally eradicated,” he pointed out.

“While recognizing that the Israeli regime is fully responsible for all the consequences of these criminal acts, and seriously warning the regime about taking further adventuristic and malevolent measures, the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its inherent right to self-defense, under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, to respond to such criminal act whenever it deems appropriate,” the ambassador highlighted in the letter.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Public Relations Office also issued a statement on March 8 saying, “Undoubtedly, the Zionist regime will pay the price of this atrocity.” 

Later, the IRGC's spokesman said the Israeli regime will be dealt with decisively for the assassination of the advisors.

“The Zionist enemy knows that it will not benefit from such crimes and will receive decisive responses,” Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif said.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh also decried the action, saying Iran will not leave the terror machine of Israel's child-killing regime unanswered. 

He also said that one of the main goals of the resistance in the region is to respond to such crimes against humanity by the apartheid regime of Israel. 

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also said “Undoubtedly, a heavy punishment is expecting the terrorists for their rude acts; the Axis of Resistance will not leave such crimes unanswered.”