The UN Security Council met in emergency session in the aftermath of major airstrikes across Iran on Saturday by the United States and Israel. In retaliation, Tehran launched its own attacks throughout the Middle East. UN chief António Guterres told ambassadors the action risks “igniting a chain of events that nobody can control in the most volatile region of the world.” He added that “everything must be done to prevent further escalation.”
The strikes and counterstrikes hit multiple countries, with civilian casualties reported in populated cities and ongoing talks in Oman potentially derailed. Israel’s Ambassador Danny Danon justified the operation as “an act of necessity” to stop an “existential threat”, while US Ambassador Mike Waltz defended “Operation Epic Fury” as targeting Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes. Iran’s Amir Saeid Iravani called their actions war crimes.
Deep divisions in the Council mirror rising tensions in the Middle East, as the region risks falling into wider conflict. Läs pressmeddelande