Russia expresses displeasure over Israeli military intervention against Iran in Syria

(Patria) – Russia's envoy to the UN Security Council stated that official Moscow disapproves of Israel's airstrikes on Iranian military buildings in Syria.

Dmitry Polyanskiy insisted before the Council members on the imperative to 'respect the territorial integrity of Syria and other countries in the region'.

- Missile attacks on Syria by Israel, which have intensified recently, are hindering efforts to normalize the situation in the region, Polyanskiy said.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement opposing attacks on more than 20 Iranian and Syrian targets.

Israel and Russia had previously reached an agreement to de-escalate conflicts in the region, which, among other things, allows air forces to target Iranian positions in Syria without the risk of hitting Russian forces, write Reuters and Jerusalem Post.

However, despite the agreement, Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military forces and allies have created tension between Israel and Russia.

Israel's Ambassador to the UN attempted to justify the airstrikes, stating they were a response to missiles fired at northern Israel from Syria.

- We hit numerous Iranian military points in Syria, Danny Danon told reporters after the Security Council session. 'We attacked Iranian targets. We will not tolerate any aggression against Israel. We will attack anyone who attacks Israel,' Danon stated.

At the same time, France called on Iran to cease actions that destabilize the situation in Syria and emphasized its commitment to Israel's security.

Syrian state media reported that two civilians were killed and several injured in the attacks, but also that the state defense system managed to destroy most of the projectiles over Damascus before they reached their targets.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in Great Britain, claims that 23 people lost their lives in the attacks, including 16 non-Syrian nationals, write Jerusalem Post and Reuters.