UN Security Council meeting on the situation around Iran. The Security Council held an emergency meeting in connection with the situation around Iran Peace and security
Speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, UN Secretary-General António Guterres again condemned the massive attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, as well as subsequent Iranian strikes, “violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United States.” Arab Emirates.”
He recalled that Article 2 of the UN Charter clearly states: “All Members of the United Nations shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State.”
The UN chief said that what is happening now in the Middle East is a “serious threat to international peace and security.” “Military action could unleash a chain of events that no one can control in the most volatile region in the world,” he said. Secretary General
The strikes reportedly hit 20 cities across Iran, including Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Shahriar and Tabriz. In Tehran, powerful explosions were recorded in the area where the presidential palace and the residence of the supreme leader are located.
Several high-ranking officials were killed, including, according to Israeli sources, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Significant civilian casualties have also been reported.
According to Iranian media, at least 85 people were killed and many were injured as a result of an airstrike on a girls’ school in Minab, Hormogan province. An attack on a school in Tehran killed two people.
Iranian airspace is closed, and the Internet is almost completely shut down in the country.
Military activities are rapidly spreading throughout the region, Guterres noted, creating an increasingly unstable and unpredictable situation and increasing the risk of miscalculations.
According to Israeli data, 89 people were injured as a result of Iran’s strikes on Israel.
Iran announced that in response to attacks by the United States and Israel, it carried out strikes on US military targets in the region. The attacks also reportedly affected civilian areas and infrastructure in several Gulf countries. Most states successfully intercepted the Iranian strikes, but the UAE reported that one civilian was killed by debris from an intercepted missile.
There are reports from Iraq of attacks using drones and missiles from both sides.
According to some reports, Iran is closing the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.
Missed diplomatic opportunity
The attacks by the United States and Israel occurred after the third round of indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran through the mediation of Oman, the UN chief recalled. Preparations were made for technical talks in Vienna next week, which were to be followed by a new round.
“I deeply regret that this opportunity for diplomacy was missed,” the Secretary General said.
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“I call for de-escalation and an immediate cessation of hostilities,” he added.
Guterres warned of the possibility of a wider conflict and said that all sides must immediately return to negotiations, in particular on the Iranian nuclear program.
The US President reportedly held talks with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, and the Iranian Foreign Minister with his counterparts from the Gulf countries and Iraq.
The UN chief called on all states to respect international law and act “responsibly and together.”
France is ready to defend the countries attacked by Iran
Jerome Bonnafon, Ambassador of France, on whose initiative today’s meeting was convened, said that “respect for international law is a condition for long-term security in the region and in the world.” He condemned Iran’s strikes on countries in the region, stressing that France is ready to use means to protect them if they ask for it.
Bonnafon also noted that today’s events are taking place against the backdrop of Iran’s ongoing nuclear program, and stressed that Iran did not take the opportunity to conclude an agreement on this issue, but, on the contrary, reduced the scope of its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Russia supported Iran
Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya expressed support for “friendly Iran” and called the actions of the United States and Israel “another unprovoked act of armed aggression against a sovereign and independent UN member state in violation of the Charter of the Organization and the fundamental principles of international law.”
“They are openly aimed at further interference in the internal affairs of Iran and the destruction of the leadership of a state that is “inconvenient” for the West,” Nebenzya said.
“The irresponsible step of the United States and Israel, as we warned earlier, led to a sharp escalation of the situation throughout the region,” he added.
USA: “a moment in history that requires moral clarity”
US Ambassador Mike Waltz said Operation Epic Fury was aimed at “specific and strategic” goals, including eliminating missile forces that threaten allies and destroying naval forces used to destabilize international waters.
“This is a moment in history that requires moral clarity,” he said.
Iran’s efforts to develop advanced missile systems, combined with its reluctance to abandon uranium enrichment as part of its nuclear program, Waltz said, pose a “serious and growing danger.”
The goal of the US-Israeli operation is to ensure that “the Iranian regime can never, under any circumstances, threaten the world with nuclear weapons,” Waltz added.
The ambassador also said that Iran’s support for armed groups, including the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas, led to bloodshed and unrest in the Middle East.
“No responsible country can ignore persistent aggression and violence,” he said.
Iran declared its legitimate right to self-defense
Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeed Iravani described the war against Iran as a war against the UN Charter and the international legal order. The actions of the United States and Israel do not meet any of the criteria of legitimate self-defense and constitute a violation of Article 2 of the Charter, he noted.
“This morning, the United States regime—in concert and in coordination with the Israeli regime—initiated unprovoked and deliberate aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran for the second time in recent months,” the ambassador said.
He accused them of deliberately targeting densely populated areas in several major cities.
According to him, statements that the attack was preventive and that Iran posed an imminent threat have no basis.
In response to aggression, Iran is exercising its “inalienable and legitimate” right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter, Iravani said, and will continue to do so “without hesitation” until the aggression stops.
Israel: diplomatic options exhausted
For 47 years, the Islamic regime in Iran gathered crowds under the slogans “Death Israel!”, “Death to America!”, said Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon.
“This is not the anger of a radical minority,” he emphasized. “This is state-sanctioned hatred.”
Meanwhile, Iran enriched uranium in violation of international law, built missiles, built underground facilities, and killed its own citizens and suppressed dissent, the ambassador said.
Today, together with the United States, Israel took the necessary actions to prevent “a significant threat before it becomes irreversible,” he stressed. According to Danon, Iran left the US and Israel no other choice.
The joint efforts of these countries will continue until the threat is eliminated, he said.
Diplomatic options have been exhausted, the ambassador added, emphasizing that Iran should have stopped enriching uranium and allowed inspections at its nuclear facilities.
