Exact death toll in Israeli attack on consulate unknown — Iran’s UN mission

The building of the Iranian consulate in Damascus has been completely destroyed as a result of an Israeli air strike, as a result of which the exact number of fatalities remains unknown, Iran's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Zahra Ershadi said.

"The exact number of deaths remains unknown because the entire diplomatic compound was destroyed and the people inside were trapped," she said at a UN Security Council meeting, TASS reports.

Ershadi also called the Israeli attack a "terrible crime." "The Israeli regime has flagrantly violated the UN Charter, international law and Syria's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity," the diplomat concluded.

Ershadi also said that the responsibility for Israel's crimes lies with the United States.

"Representatives of the US and the UK have once again tried to deny their responsibility for the current situation in Syria by falsely blaming Iran. Iran strongly rejects these allegations. Iran has never sought to contribute to the spillover of the conflict in the region, nor does it to seek to escalate or spread the tensions to the entire region. Despite expressing concern over the spillover of the tensions in the region, the United States tries to misuse this situation to destabilize Syria and the region. The United States is responsible for all the crimes committed by the Israeli regime," Ershadi pointed out.