Israel Bans UN Chief Guterres from Entering Country for not Condemning Iran Attacks

Rabat – Israel announced today it’s banning UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from entering the country in response to what they described as his failure to “unequivocally condemn” Iran’s recent missile attacks. 

The announcement was made by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who criticized Guterres for not specifically addressing Iran’s actions after hundreds of missiles were launched towards Israel.

Following the missile strikes, Guterres condemned the escalation of violence in the region, but did not explicitly mention Iran. “I condemn the broadening of the Middle East conflict with escalation after escalation. This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire,” he said on X.

Katz accused Guterres of being an “anti-Israel Secretary-General” who supports “terrorists, rapists, and murderers.” 

“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,” he added.

These bold statements are being made by a country that has completely devastated Gaza over the past year, killing over 41,000 Palestinians and causing widespread destruction and damage in the enclave —  without being held accountable.

Furthermore, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the UN Assembly last week, an institution that is meant to uphold peace and human rights, Israeli forces were simultaneously targeting civilians in Lebanon, killing at least 700 people in less than a week.

The Iranian attacks, which occurred on Tuesday, involved around 180 missiles aimed at Israeli territory, making it a more extensive assault than the one that occurred in April, which involved approximately 110 ballistic and 30 cruise missiles. 

Israel said most missiles were intercepted by Israeli defense systems, but reports indicated that some military bases, as well as civilian areas like restaurants and schools, were struck.

Commenting on the strike, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that 90% of the missiles hit their intended targets, stating this was the first use of hypersonic missiles in their arsenal. The IRGC described the attacks as retaliation for Israel’s killing of key Iranian military figures and associates in recent months, including leaders from Hamas and Hezbollah.

Israeli Occupation Forces’ (IOF) officials have reported that the immediate threat from Iran appears to be over for now, though the extent of the damage caused by the strikes is still being assessed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of “consequences” following the attacks.

In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian civil defense authority reported the death of a Palestinian man attributed to debris from Iran’s missile barrage.