The U.N. Security Council met in emergency session on Friday to debate Israel’s unprovoked attack on Iran and its potential consequences.
The U.N. Secretary General condemned the escalation. Russia warned that Israel’s actions in the Middle East are “pushing the region to a large-scale nuclear catastrophe.” Pakistan says Iran has a right to self-defense. And the United States blamed Iran. Read the full report on U.N. News.
By Vibhu Mishra
UN News
Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities mark a dangerous new escalation in the Middle East, a top U.N. official told the Security Council during an emergency session convened on Friday.
The Council cleared its original schedule to address the rapidly evolving crisis, also hearing from the head of the U.N.-backed international nuclear watchdog, who warned of the grave risks to regional stability and nuclear safety.
Overnight from Thursday into Friday, Israeli military strikes targeted nuclear facilities across Iran, including the Natanz enrichment site. Media reports indicate that Hossein Salami, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as several prominent nuclear scientists, were among those killed.
The strikes also caused significant damage, including reportedly dozens of civilian casualties. Airspace in the region has been largely closed and security forces are on high alert.
Additional Israeli strikes were reported late Friday local time as well as ballistic missile launches by Iran which have reportedly struck parts of Israel, including Tel Aviv.
Avoid Conflagration at All Costs: DiCarlo
Rosemary DiCarlo, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for political affairs told ambassadors that the repercussions of the attacks were already reverberating.
“I reaffirm the Secretary-General’s condemnation of any military escalation in the Middle East,” she said, urging both Israel and Iran to exercise maximum restraint and “avoid at all costs a descent into deeper and wider regional conflict”.
She also noted that the military escalation came just as “some significant diplomatic developments” were unfolding, including the planned resumption of United States-Iranian talks in Oman at the weekend. Latest reports indicate that Iran will no longer attend.
DiCarlo urged parties to stay the diplomatic course.
“A peaceful resolution through negotiations remains the best means to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme,” she said.
“We must at all costs avoid a growing conflagration which would have enormous global consequences.”
IAEA Head Urges Protection of Atomic Sites
Rafael Grossi (on screen), IAEA Director General briefs the Security Council. (U.N. Photo/Loey Felipe)
Also briefing the Council, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said his agency was in constant contact with the Iranian Nuclear Regulatory Authority to assess the status of affected facilities and determine broader impacts on nuclear safety and security.
He stressed that nuclear sites must never be targeted – under any circumstances.
“Such attacks have serious implications for nuclear security, nuclear safety and safeguards, as well as regional and international peace and security,” Grossi said.
He stands ready to travel to the region at the earliest opportunity, he added, to assess the situation and support safety, security and non-proliferation efforts in Iran.
“It is clear that the only sustainable path forward for Iran, for Israel, the entire region and the international community is one grounded in dialogue and diplomacy to ensure peace, stability and cooperation.”
Grossi concluded by offering the IAEA as a neutral platform where “facts prevail over rhetoric” and where technical engagement replace escalation.
“I reaffirm my personal and the agency’s readiness to facilitate dialogue and support efforts that promote transparency, security and the peaceful resolution of nuclear issues in Iran.”
Russia ‘Strongly Condemns’ Israeli Actions
Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia warned that Israel’s actions in the Middle East are “pushing the region to a large-scale nuclear catastrophe.”
“This completely unprovoked attack, no matter what Israel says to the contrary, is a gross violation of the U.N. Charter and international law,” he said, expressing Russia’s “strong condemnation” of the strikes.
He accused “Western members” of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal – formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – of contributing to the current crisis through their policies toward Iran and its nuclear programme.
“They have been doing everything to fuel the escalation and essentially incited it,” he told ambassadors.
Nebenzia concluded by urging renewed diplomatic efforts. “Once again, settling issues related to the Iranian nuclear programme is only possible if a peaceful, political, and diplomatic pathway is followed,” he said.
‘Iran Has the Right to Self-Defence’: Pakistan
Pakistan’s Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad told the Council that Israel’s “blatant provocations” pose a grave threat to regional peace and stability.
“Iran has the right to self-defence under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter,” he said, alleging that Israel’s actions in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen “reflect a continuing pattern of unilateral militarism”.
“The fact that these attacks against Iran have happened in the middle of a negotiations process aimed at finding a peaceful diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue makes it all the more morally repugnant and against international norms,” he added.
Ahmad urged all parties to avoid further escalation and prioritise dialogue. He also called on the Security Council to “hold the aggressor accountable for its actions. This Council must deny Israel the free hand and the impunity with which it continues to operate in defiance of international law and international opinion.”
Iran Must Not Acquire Nuclear Weapons: U.S.
Speaking for the United States, McCoy Pitt, a senior State Department official, accused Iran of having launched “unprovoked, direct and proxy attacks” against Israeli civilians and of spreading of terror, instability and human suffering in the region.
“As President Trump has repeatedly said this dangerous regime cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons,” he said.
Pitt noted that the U.S. had been informed of the Israeli strikes in advance but was not militarily involved.
“Our absolute, foremost priority is the protection of U.S. citizens, personnel and forces in the region,” he said.
He further said that the U.S. will continue to seek a diplomatic resolution that ensures Iran will never acquire a nuclear weapon or pose a threat to instability in the Middle East.
“Iran’s leadership will be wise to negotiate at this time,” he said.
Iran Calls for Accountability
Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the Security Council he was addressing the body on behalf of his government and people “with the utmost urgency and grave alarm.”
“We strongly and unequivocally condemn the barbaric and criminal attack, a series of targeted assassinations against senior military officials, nuclear scientists and innocent civilians,” he said.
“These deliberate and systematic killings were not only illegal and inhuman, a chilling display of calculated aggression. These atrocities constitute a clear act of State terrorism and flagrant violation of international law,” he added.
He said Israel’s attacks on protected nuclear facilities defied not only the fundamental principles of international law but also “common conscience,” warning that damage to such sites could release catastrophic radiological consequences across the region and beyond.
“Only a regime devoid of humanity and responsibility would endanger millions of lives in pursuit of its destructive ambitions,” Iravani said.
“Those who support this regime, with the United States at the forefront, must understand that they are complicit. By aiding and enabling these crimes, they share full responsibility for the consequences.”
Israel Defends ‘Act of National Preservation’
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon began his remarks by reminding Security Council members that – as they spoke – Iranian ballistic missiles were striking Israeli cities and injuring civilians.
He said Israel’s strikes were preventative and carried out with “precision, purpose, and the most advanced intelligence” available.
The mission, he added, was clear, “dismantle Iran’s nuclear programme, eliminate the architects of its terror and aggression and neutralize the regime’s ability to follow through on its repeated public promise to destroy the State of Israel.”
Danon accused Iran of taking steps toward building a nuclear arsenal. He also criticized the international community for failing to act and rein in Tehran.
“Israel did not act recklessly – we waited,” he said.
“This was an act of national preservation. It was one we undertook alone, not because we wanted to, but because we were left no other option.”
This is a very divisive issue in the US Democratic party. It is destroying the party from within.
*A Final Judgment…“Zionist elite have truly emerged as Those Who Reign Supreme in,” the Divided $tates of Corporate America—-*The New Jerusalem.”
The Owl asks, *“WHO towers behind Trump?” The bird tweets, “the “Neti Pot,” Israel. “It’s $not good. Buhlieve me. Not Good.” Israel’s got “The Donald,” by the balls. DJ “the Big $hot” Trump *“demonstrates how non-Jewish individuals & financial interests can rise to great heights through the sponsorship of Jewish interests.” Trump’s-Vance’s, Inc., path to “Power & Influence.”
2025: “The mission,” [Danny Danon] “added, was clear, “dismantle Iran’s nuclear programme, eliminate the architects of its terror and aggression and neutralize the regime’s ability to follow through on its repeated public promise to destroy the State of Israel.” Danny Danon, Israeli Ambassador.
1963: *“The proliferation of nuclear arms in the Arab & Muslim world has been a direct reaction to Israel’s nuclear build-up—-something that JFK tried to stop—-&, it is no exaggeration to say that had JFK succeeded in stopping Israel from achieving nuclear weapons,” the USG’s “cowboy fm Texas’” war in Iraq, woulda never happened.
“”Those Who Reign Supreme do so b/c on November 22, 1963, an American president who challenged their power was put to death in a very ugly public execution that, to this day, remains unpunished. Now today, we face the reality that came as a consequence of that crime in Dallas. JFK was making a strong stand against the demands of the Zionist lobby, particularly its desire to help Israel become a major world power; &, as a consequence, paid w/his life.” Michale Collins Piper.
6.4.25, *“Israel has rejected calls for an unconditional or permanent ceasefire, saying Hamas cannot stay in Gaza. Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon told the council members who voted in favor of the draft: “You chose appeasement and submission. You chose a road that does not lead to peace. Only to more terror.” Danny Danon warned: “Don’t waste more of your time, because no resolution, no vote, no moral failure, will stand in our way.”
“The end result, in the Zionist’s grand scheme, is the establishment of a global empire, ruled by America, *The New Jerusalem.” Michael Collins Piper (Zionist Power in America) first published February 2005.
TY, Vibhu Mishra, UN News, CN, et al., “Onward & Upwards!”
It’s fact versus fiction. The fiction is in the US and Israeli claims and statements, and the facts are in their actions – which don’t match.
So, any analysis must be on the basis of actions not words – leaving the UN ‘debate’ with clear verifiable facts to assess. And, the facts are clear when you remove all the deliberate disinformation, rhetoric and lies. The ‘fog of war’, if you like.
Iran is defending itself against two countries that are both determined to wipe it off the face of the map, for…. what exactly? Most of the accusations, if not all, against it have little to no hard evidence to support them. Even those that are true do not support any claim that it is going to develop nukes and use them against Israel.
But with the US backing them up to the hilt, the UN is powerless to do more than talk. The US will, as it usually does, veto any resolution it [Israel] doesn’t like.
All of this just makes it far more likely that, in the end, Iran will decide to develop nukes to use as a deterrent against Israel, and may well get help from other countries like Pakistan and Russia to do so. Countries that recognise the extreme danger that Israel and a Zionist-hijacked US pose to the world.
this is ACTUALLY ABOUT splitting up and dividing Eurasia /isolating China and Russia.
Trump will tell his MAGAs he has no choice but to come to the aid of a struggling Israel.
Bottom line: the pro-Israel power bloc in Washington dictates Middle East policy to Washington. The hot takes and gotchya questions being bandied about currently regarding what specific role Trump played — Did he have prior knowledge? Did he or Netanyahu order the attacks? — miss the entire point: Miriam and the Palantir boys are running Middle East policy, period. Any other speculation that fails to acknowledge this is a total distraction.
We’re now left with the most grotesque religio-ethnic exclusionary state armed to the teeth that ignores international law and devalues gentile life.
What is to be done? Lenin’s prescient question looms.
Drew yourself, Bill, and many others, not all, here on this page deserve to know. If you haven’t should read this article at the Counter Punch.
www(dot)counterpuch(dot)org/2026/06/13/the-illegal-attack-on-iran/
Whether many agree or not the facts reveal the truth of the situation as a large number of countries around the globe rightfully understand it is. The facts don’t lie.
We all need to question ourselves on why it is the U.S. worked with India and Pakistan and never condemned their acquisition of nuclear weapons.
If one has remained current on those developments of the fairly recent past the author of the Counter Punch piece ads new information critical to understanding what the U.S. has been most recently been engaged in while not necessarily explaining why.
Individuals who are dead set against Iran might wish to revise their thinking by reading the Counter Punch article also. The author provides many more facts contributed to the attack on Oct. 7 2023. Other countries around the world , while not approving of that Oct. 7th attack understand the extenuating circumstances that drove that action. Israel and the U.S. got caught up in that old , what goes around comes around, vicious cycle of violence very often the result of prior actions by the Israeli government of Benny the Blade Notinyahoo!
Truly objective thinkers, whose with inquiring minds want to know all the facts. Facts reveal reality as it is BTW!
Thank you for your link. Unfortunately, the linked article gives too much credit to the IAEA. Former Reagan nuclear advisor, Dr. Gordon Prather, was calling out the “Iran’s nukes” hoax 20 years ago. Here is one of many articles criticizing the IAEA. hxxps://original.antiwar.com/prather/2009/07/03/iaea-board-goes-bonkers/ It should also be noted that Iran’s recent revelation that the IAEA had illegally been passing on information about Iran’s facilities to Israel, along with never mentioning the non-compliance of the US due to its “lost nukes”, is an indication that the IAEA’s credibility is zero.
hxxps://original.antiwar.com/prather/2009/10/16/its-not-iran-stupid/
How any human being with a rudimentary conscience can continue to support this barbaric state is beyond me.
Earlier, I intended to thank both Vibhu Mishra & consortiumnews.com for their efforts to inform the public writ large of this ongoing international deadly charade being conducted in the name of the quest for peace.
The death, violence and environmental destruction foisted on our world by deranged, petty monotheistic ideological fanatics in their corrupt pseudo moral political quest for power and control must be recognized and discarded for what it is; primitive ignorance and fear mongering!
Why do people keep talking about negotiation, peace, and cooperation, when Israel and the US clearly want to impose regime change on Iran, by violent means if necessary?
Paul I see you realize the game here. Israel will catch hell for a while, taking a breaks. from the action to rearm and refresh and will return to their general mode of operation. Nothing has changed except Israel will likely become more brazen.
The U.S. is compromising any authoritative influence it has remaining, which becomes less with every passing week currently, however this time both the U.S. and Israel are risking any possible influence they have globally. Alienate enough of your allies and your lobby suffers.
This situation will be very interesting for the three years.
The United Nations is a feeble talking shop. They allow the U.S. to veto any action against the crimes of Israel. Iran has not attacked the U.S. Leave them the fuck alone.
It is the UN Charter that allows the US, and the other four permanent members, to veto a Security Council resolution. When you call the United Nations “they” who are they? The United States is part of the UN so “they” also includes hee US.
Congratulations America. Your little bitch(Israehell ) is going to start WWIII for you and your little bitch. I bet the MAGA and assorted other looney Americas are giving each other high fives and hugs to each other.
I applaud Consortium’s printing of a reasoned discussion here. I hope to be able to take the anti-Iran side without the odd ad hominems my position evoked yesterday.
I beg those who wish to continue debate to address our letting Russia, China, and North Korea develop their nukes without anything but discussions on our part. Thankfully, Russia and China have proven to be too rational to risk MAD, being too successful to fail. N Kor is still too small to be a present danger, but may not have self-interest as the leader approaches death.
Iran has both the size and martyrdom inclination that to me, makes it unforgivable not to use out trillions in military might to save our coming generations
Please, I beg you to disagree with me without calling me a tool of the CIA and MI6.
You are absolutely entitled to be anti Iranian and personally, I have no issue with that for your choices are yours to live with. I’m ‘anti’ lots of things myself.
However, your assesment of the world is fundamentally flawed and most of the people here accusing you of being disingenuous are doing so because they recognise your argument as being wholly derived from Western propaganda, hence the reasonable suspicions of you for claiming a well-proven flawed assessment of the World Stage as something actually worth revisiting! Also, based on how you’re wording your comments, you’re clearly set in your views and, as it’s easier to fool someone than it is to convince them they’ve been fooled, I suspect you’ll get little to no debating your claims here.
If you truly are just naive and new to political machinating, then try not to take things personally. If you have an unpopular viewpoint and choose to make it public online, you should expect such responses and suspicions. I mean, c’mon, you can’t be ignorant of the many government-funded propaganda machines out there that happen to be using practically identical arguments to yours.
Platopus, thank you for your civil disagreement. Since you charge me with naivete, oversensitivity, and inexperience, I must admit:
Working against the old soviet Union with the Army Security Agency in the ’70’s;
Trying to teach the new Russians western business as a Fulbright professor to Moscow in the 90’s (unsuccessfully);
Teaching Linguistics to Palestinians at Bethlehem University in the 80’s while my uncle, generally a Consul General (Saudi, Egypt) had a posting to the Sinai Peacekeeping Mission;
Writing hundreds of investigative journalism and op ed pieces on city and county government here in Key West in this (retirement) millenium;
I had a national econ book and talk radio show in the 90’s which got me a great deal of anonymous criticism, which I welcomed, as I do yours.
Again, I hope for a debate on the merits. Do you want Iran to have a nuclear bomb and ballistic missiles?
Should Israel have a nuclear bomb and ballistic missiles, given that it is the greatest source of violence and destabilization in the Middle East?
The region should be a nuclear weapons free zone, as the 1991 U.N. Security Council resolution ending the first Gulf War calls for. But the U.S. and Israel will never let that happen.
If Iran already had a nuclear bomb would Israel have attacked it?
No, I just believe you are inexcusably ignorant. You got there without any help from the CIA.
“Ignorant” is an accusation new to me. I went to MIT and Yale Law before getting my PhD from Berkeley in 3 years/four months,
Again, on the merits: okay with Iranian nukes?
Words! Words! Words! What a waste of time — and lives.
“Speaking for the United States, McCoy Pitt, a senior State Department official, accused Iran of having launched “unprovoked, direct and proxy attacks” against Israeli civilians and of spreading of terror, instability and human suffering in the region.”
Like the Russian invasion and seizure of Crimea, Iran’s retaliation was “unprovoked”.
“Speaking for the United States, McCoy Pitt, a senior State Department official, accused…”
Gaslighting the public is inexcusable. It is a truly corrosive and repulsive practice. Those engaging in it should be permanently ostracised from society at the very least…in a sane and just world, that is.
Goebbels would be proud.
I agree. I have an intenses hatred for the warmongers of this world. The U.S. is chief among them.