Vietnam condemns attack on Iranian embassy in Syria

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that Vietnam condemns the attack on the Iranian embassy building in Syria, stressing that these facilities must be respected.

Referring to the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, which killed 13 people on April 1, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said today that Vietnam "calls on relevant parties to exercise restraint, not use force, resolve disagreements by peaceful means, avoid escalating tensions in the region, comply with international law, including the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and ensure the lives, security, and safety of citizens, members of representative agencies, and their families."

She also noted that "diplomatic and consular premises must be respected and protected in accordance with international law," according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

*Spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs*

The attack on Iran's consulate in Syria has angered the country, which has vowed to retaliate. Among the 13 people killed were seven officials of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Iran has accused Israel of being behind the incident, but Tel Aviv has not commented on the information. Israel has targeted the interests of Iran and its allies in Syria for many years, citing emerging threats to the country's security.

Iran's mission to the United Nations described the attack as a "flagrant violation of the UN Charter, international law and the fundamental principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises". It called on the UN Security Council to condemn the attack and said Tehran reserved the right to "take a decisive response".

Russia, China and Muslim countries such as Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) all condemned the attack.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin affirmed that "the security of diplomatic agencies cannot be violated, and Syria's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity must be respected."

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington was "concerned about anything that could lead to an escalation of conflict in the region", but hoped the attack would not affect talks to free Israeli hostages being held by Hamas.