When Iran decided to carry out its first-ever direct military attack on Israel, the nation crossed its old red lines and made it clear that any attack on Iranian entities would be taken as an attack on Iranian soil. However, the UN SC seems to have a differing opinion on this ostensibly justified move from Iran, with a majority of members condemning the attack and urging both par­ties to show restraint.

Putting aside the fact that this was clearly a response from Iran, not an attack as many are making it out to be, it is awfully convenient for West­ern nations to suddenly become advocates for peace as soon as Israel was at the receiving end. Even though the attack on the consulate in Da­mascus was in clear violation of the Vienna Convention as it was an at­tack on a diplomatic facility, and resulted in the death of two senior Ira­nian generals, there was no condemnation from the West. What is also confounding is the fact that the US is running to the same entities they have relentlessly been dismissing for the past few months. Selectively ig­noring UN condemnation when it comes to the atrocities in Gaza, but ea­gerly seeking UN aid when it serves their interests in condemning their opponents is not just outright hypocritical but highlights how disingen­uous the West is when it comes to its moral policing in times of conflict.

For months, the cries of over 10,000 children in Gaza have been drowned out by the narrative that Israel is simply exercising its right to defend itself. Thousands of civilians have been dispropor­tionately killed as a part of Israel’s collective punishment and clear breaches of international humanitarian law – these have been justi­fied without a second thought.

Now, Iran has decided to appropriately carry out retaliatory drone strikes against strictly military targets, and this is being labelled as a display of aggression. Western hypocrisy has no bounds anymore, but this double standard raises serious concerns and questions about the impartiality of the UN when it comes to global conflicts.

Iran’s response does not hold a candle to the level of devastation in Gaza, and yet it seems to be the center of global attention right now. At some point, the West must hold up a mirror to see the stan­dards they have set for what counts as a war crime and what counts as an act of self-defense.