Iran Accuses Israel of Killing Diplomats in Beirut Hotel Attack

Iran's ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, has formally accused Israel of killing four Iranian diplomats following an attack on the Ramada Hotel in Beirut on Sunday.

In a letter addressed to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Ambassador Iravani stated that the attacks were "deliberate" and "targeted." This action reportedly occurred after the diplomats had moved from their official residences to the hotel.

Iravani's letter described the incident as a "grave terrorist act and a serious breach of international law."

The letter further noted that the individuals were serving as official representatives of a sovereign Member State on the territory of another sovereign State. The strike reportedly impacted the fourth floor of the hotel, located in central Beirut.

Israel's Counter-Claim and Identification

The Israeli military stated that a secret meeting of Iranian operatives was taking place inside the hotel at the time of the incident. The Israel Defense Forces identified the five men killed in the strike as working for Iran's elite Quds Force, which is the overseas operations arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Lebanese Casualty Report

An initial report from the Lebanese health ministry indicated that four people were killed and ten injured in the strike, though it did not identify the individuals.