UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres finally found the courage to directly call out Iran after their missile attacks on Israel, but only after some not-so-subtle pressure from Israel. It seems that his initial condemnation of the “broadening conflict” was a little too vague for the taste of Israeli officials, who were left wondering why Tehran wasn’t singled out for their role in escalating the violence.
Guterres, in a classic case of backtracking, addressed the UN Security Council during an emergency meeting, and clarified his stance. “As should have been obvious yesterday,” he said, making it clear that the message apparently needed some underlining, “I again strongly condemn yesterday’s massive missile attacks by Iran on Israel.”
A delayed but direct finger-pointing at Iran, following Israel’s nudge to get the Secretary-General to call things as they are. What started as a broad and cautious condemnation turned into a more pointed rebuke, highlighting the ongoing tension between diplomatic tact and the expectation for clear accountability.
Once again, it looks like the UN prefers to tiptoe around the harsh realities until someone pushes them hard enough to state the obvious. Let’s see how effective this late rebuke will be, as Iran and Israel continue to exchange blows in a conflict that doesn’t seem to be nearing any peaceful resolution.
