Israel has barred the UN Secretary General from entering the country in the wake of Iran’s missile attack on the country on Tuesday.
Israel's foreign minister said the country was barring UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres from entering the country for his failure to “unequivocally condemn” Iran’s attack.
Israel accused Guterres of ‘anti-Israel’ bias.
The minister, Israel Katz, said on social media that they have declared Guterres ‘persona non grata’ and banned him from entering the country. “Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran's heinous attack on Israel, as almost every country in the world has done, does not deserve to step foot on Israeli soil. This is a Secretary-General who has yet to denounce the massacre and sexual atrocities committed by Hamas murderers on October 7, nor has he led any efforts to declare them a terrorist organisation,” said Katz.
He accused Guterres of backing “terrorists, rapists, and murderers from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and now Iran – the mothership of global terror”. Katz said Guterres will be remembered as a “stain on the history of the UN”.
The minister said that Israel will continue to defend its citizens and uphold its dignity, with or without Guterres.
ISRAEL VOWS PAYBACK TO IRAN
Iran said that it targeted three Israeli military bases. Iran Revolutionary Guards’ advisor to the General Commander said a cyber operation was launched along with the missile strikes. Iran also said that Israel’s response would be met with "vast destruction". Its foreign minister however said that the assault was over unless Israel decided to retaliate, in which case it would respond even more forcefully.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to strike back. US news website Axios reported that Israel could retaliate within days and that it could target Iran’s oil production facilities and other strategic sites.