Russia and China have accused the US of "deliberately" stoking tensions in the Middle East. Moscow and Beijing say U.S. military strikes targeting Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria are fueling tensions in the region.
This charge was raised against Washington at the meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Monday. Russia called the emergency meeting of the Security Council.
On January 28, a drone attack was carried out on the US military base in Jordan. Three US soldiers were killed. In response, US forces have been targeting Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria. Dozens of targets in both countries were attacked overnight last Friday.
These attacks have raised fears that the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza could turn into a regional conflict.
Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia said it was clear that the US airstrikes were aimed specifically at escalating the conflict.
Chinese Ambassador Jun Zhang made almost identical complaints. He said, this action of the United States (retaliatory attack) will certainly increase the vicious cycle of violence in the Middle East "throwing jute instead of bricks".
Israel's destructive operation in Gaza has fueled anger across the Middle East. Violence between Iran-backed groups is spreading in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. In response to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, the Israeli army is carrying out an all-out military operation in Gaza.
A UN official urged 'all sides to step back and consider the grave human and economic toll of a potential regional conflict'.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said, she calls on all concerned parties to work together to prevent further escalation of tensions and to ensure that regional peace and security do not deteriorate further.
The US attack has been criticized by the governments of Iraq and Syria. Iran has also criticized it. The country has denied any role in last month's drone strike in Jordan.
"Any attempt to blame Iran or its armed forces for the attack is misleading, baseless and unacceptable," Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeed Eravani told the council.
The White House said on Sunday it was planning more retaliatory strikes.
"It needs to be made clear that while we are actively working to contain and de-escalate the conflict in Gaza, the United States does not seek further conflict in the region," said US Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood.
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