Israeli Ambassador to the UN: Addressing Armed Groups in the Middle East Must Include Confrontation with the Iranian Government

The new Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said on Wednesday amid escalating tensions with Hezbollah in Lebanon that part of the solution to dealing with armed groups in the Middle East must involve confronting the Islamic Republic of Iran. Danon told Fox News Digital that UN Security Council Resolution 1701 'clearly states that no military forces will exist in southern Lebanon except for the Lebanese army; but look at what has happened since 2006.' He noted that the militia forces of Hezbollah have taken control of the region and turned it into a center of terrorism with tens of thousands of missiles, which unfortunately we have experienced in recent months. The Israeli ambassador added that part of the solution to confronting groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, who attack commercial ships, is to confront the Islamic Republic, which provides significant financial and military support to these armed groups. He stated, 'I think the time has come for not only Israel to confront [the Islamic Republic] of Iran, but for Western democracies to realize that they must pressure [the Iranian government], they must be active to prevent [the Islamic Republic] from acquiring nuclear capabilities.' Danon also criticized the UN in an interview with Fox News Digital, saying, 'Let’s face the facts. The reality is that the UN failed to condemn ... October 7 ... I cannot accept this.' The new Israeli representative to the UN further stated that this international body needs to be 'reformed,' and that the US, as the 'main - most powerful country' that funds most of the UN's budget, is capable of doing so. He called the United Nations an important institution and added that we must 'ensure that the UN focuses on the real goals of promoting security and peace and does not become a platform for hatred and incitement by radical countries.' John Kirby emphasized America's readiness to defend Israel against a potential attack from the Islamic Republic. A senior US military official stated that the risk of a broader war in the Middle East has decreased, but the Islamic Republic remains a significant threat. An Iran affairs researcher told Voice of America: 'The Islamic Movement of Nigeria' is an Iranian proxy. Israelis expressed satisfaction with the thwarting of Hezbollah's attack; Jerusalem: The situation on the northern borders is 'not stable.'