Air raid sirens and explosions are being heard in cities across Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, as Israeli, US, UK and Jordanian forces shoot down missiles and drones launched from Iran.
Tehran says it carried out the attack in response to an Israeli raid on the Iranian consulate in Syria and says the matter can now “be deemed concluded”.
UN Security Council to meet on Sunday afternoon
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting at 4pm New York time [20:00 GMT] on Sunday, the current President of the Security Council, Malta, has said.
The meeting was scheduled shortly after a formal request from Israel’s UN envoy for an emergency meeting on Iran’s drone strikes against Israel.
What does Article 51 of UN Charter, cited by Iran, say?
Iran has invoked Article 51 of the UN Charter to justify its attack on Israel. The provision grants countries the right to self-defence if they come under attack.
Iran has argued that the deadly Israeli air strike on Tehran’s consulate in Damascus constitutes a direct attack on the country’s sovereignty.
Here’s what Article 51 says:
“Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.”
