Mr. President,
The only effective way to contribute to a sustainable and lasting solution to the serious situation currently affecting the Middle East is to address the issue in a comprehensive manner, including the root causes of the present crisis.
The facts are clear and the evidence is unquestionable. The current war was initiated on 28 February by the United States and Israel, which launched a military attack against Iran, violating its sovereignty and territorial integrity, in flagrant breach of the Charter of the United Nations and international law.
With this irresponsible and deliberate aggression, diplomatic efforts on the nuclear issue, which were under negotiation, were undermined for a second time.
Once again, the United States and Israel have placed regional and international peace, stability, and security in grave danger.
The Human Rights Council must act with objectivity and impartiality, without selectivity or politicization. Any statement by the Council that ignores these realities would not be fair or balanced, nor consistent with international law.
Nor can the current developments be separated from the long-standing situation in the region, marked by Israel’s aggressive and expansionist policy and its reprehensible and irresponsible acts, which have always enjoyed the unconditional military, financial, logistical, and political support of the United States.
We are witnessing yet another facet of the illegal occupation of Palestine and the genocide against its people, which in the past three years alone has cost the lives of more than 72,000 Palestinians, including over 20,000 children, in addition to widespread destruction. What is happening now is also a continuation of Israeli attacks against the sovereign territories of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and other States in the region.
Equally, the double standards and manipulation of the nuclear issue are part of this scenario. The United States and Israel, the same actors who are now attacking Iran under the pretext of an alleged nuclear threat, oppose the establishment of a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in the Middle East.
Mr. President,
Cuba will always advocate respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of all States, including the Arab nations of the Gulf, and for the cessation of acts causing harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure. International law and international humanitarian law must be respected in all circumstances.
Those nations should not have to bear the consequences of a war that should never have begun. They are victims of the spiral of violence resulting from an illegal and irresponsible aggression initiated by the United States and Israel.
Cuba calls for relations of peace, friendship, and cooperation among all nations of the Middle East. Moderation, dialogue, and the principle of good neighbourliness must prevail at this delicate moment.
It is urgent to put an end to the impunity with which the United States and Israel act, for the Security Council of the United Nations to exercise its responsibility under the mandate of the Charter, and for the General Assembly of the United Nations to mobilize the international community to restore peace with the urgency and determination that the moment requires.
Thank you.