Israel on Wednesday declared UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "persona non grata" in the country and banned him from entering the country as the Jewish nation faced a barrage of missiles from Iran overnight. Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Israel Katz tweeted, "Today, I have declared UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata in Israel and banned him from entering the country. Anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran's heinous attack on Israel, as almost every country in the world has done, does not deserve to step foot on Israeli soil." Live updates here.
He further added, "This is a Secretary-General who has yet to denounce the massacre and sexual atrocities committed by Hamas murderers on October 7, nor has he led any efforts to declare them a terrorist organization. A Secretary-General who gives backing to terrorists, rapists, and murderers from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and now Iran—the mothership of global terror—will be remembered as a stain on the history of the UN. Israel will continue to defend its citizens and uphold its national dignity, with or without António Guterres."
Iran's Missile Barrage At Israel
Iran launched nearly 200 missiles at Israel on Tuesday, in retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in a deadly airstrike in Lebanon. The missile strikes led millions of Israelis to seek shelter, and the skies over Tel Aviv were illuminated by the attacks. Only two Israelis have been reported injured. The only known casualty so far in the missile attack is a Palestinian man.
The Israel Defense Forces vowed to retaliate for the Iranian missile strikes despite the IRGC's warning that Israel would "face heavy attacks" if it responded. "This fire will have consequences," IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said. "We have plans, and we will act in the time and place that we choose."
"We've said it once, and we'll say it again: the Iranian regime is dangerous, destructive, and one of the greatest threats to regional and world stability," Israel said in another social media post.