WANA (Oct 31) – The Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter has issued a statement condemning Israel’s recent actions, stating: “The Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter strongly condemns the premeditated and heinous attack by Israel on the Islamic Republic of Iran on October 26, 2024.”

 

The statement detailed that the assault involved a series of airstrikes targeting multiple locations in Iran, leading to the deaths of four Iranian military officers: Hamzeh Jahandideh, Mohammad Mahdi Shahrokhi, Sajjad Mansouri, and Mehdi Naqavi, who lost their lives defending Iran’s sovereignty and people.

 

The group’s member countries emphasized that this attack represents a severe breach of the UN Charter and core principles of international law, including the prohibition of threats or the use of force against the territorial integrity of any state. It is also seen as a flagrant violation of Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

 

Expressing deep concern over Israel’s ongoing attempts to escalate conflict and instability in the Middle East, the group highlighted that Israel’s repeated violations of international law and provocations against regional countries demonstrate a clear intent to intensify ground tensions.

 

The statement underscored the urgent need to hold Israel accountable for all its crimes against the people of Palestine and other Arabs in occupied territories and the region.

 

The Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter also expressed strong solidarity with the people and government of Iran, a founding ally of the group, and extended condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the recent attacks.

 

The Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter is a coalition within the United Nations, established in July 2021 in New York by 17 UN member states, including Algeria, Angola, Belarus, Bolivia, Cambodia, China, Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Laos, Nicaragua, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Palestine, Syria, and Venezuela.

 

Equatorial Guinea, Zimbabwe, and Mali later joined, followed by Burundi, Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa, and Vietnam as observer members in September 2022.

 

The primary goal of this group is to support the UN Charter, promoting multilateralism and the use of diplomacy to counter the use of force. Other objectives include advancing international law, coordinating joint initiatives to reinforce respect for the UN Charter’s purposes and principles, and fostering the values of dialogue, tolerance, solidarity, and peaceful coexistence among nations.