Vietnam to consult UN Security Council members on US-Iran conflict

Vietnam has said that it would consult other countries on matters arising during this month when it holds the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), including developments of the US-Iran tension.

Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo: MOFA

Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) made the statement at a regular press conference on Thursday.

Taking the UNSC Presidency in January 2020, Vietnam will chair activities based on the UNSC programs which have been approved by the member countries and will consult them on matters arising, Hang said when answering a question raised by local newswire VnExpress.

She added that Vietnam is concerned about the recent tensions in the Middle East.

“We call for all related parties to restrain and hold dialogues and solve conflicts in a peaceful manner with respect to law for peace and stability in the region and the whole world without taking any actions that escalate the situation,” Hang noted.

US-Iran relations under challenge after the killing of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani. Photo: Reuters

The US and Iran stormed to the edge of a cliff this week when Iran attacked two Iraqi military bases housing US and Coalition troops with more than a dozen ballistic missiles in retaliation for the US killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani who was killed by a US drone strike in Baghdad last week.

His death represents a major escalation in the simmering US-Iranian conflict, and has prompted fears that a direct military confrontation could soon erupt.

The Iranian regime has promised to retaliate against the US for the assassination of Soleimani. Iran’s leaders have vowed to avenge slain the commander by forcing the US out of the Middle East, as huge crowds thronged Tehran’s streets for the general’s funeral ceremony.

On the decision to assassinate General Soleimani, Christopher Matthews, American political commentator and talk show host on MSNBC, warned the assassination of Soleimani can drive the US into war.

The MOFA’s Consular Department said on its website that the situation in the Middle East is going bad, posing risk to large-scale war outbreak. The ministry has warned Vietnamese citizens of complicated situation in the Middle East.

Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thao, member of the UN’s International Law Commission (ILC) said Vietnam right on the first day of the presidency month had to play a role in solving the Gulf crisis after the US killed Soleimani in Iraq, PLO.vn reported.